Africa-Press – Uganda. Residents who were affected by the Kawanda/ Masaka 220 Kilovolt (KV) electricity transmission line project in Masaka City have asked Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to return their land titles.
They surrendered their land titles to UETCL in 2009 to facilitate compensation for the construction of a 220 KV transmission line from Kawanda to Masaka.
The project was meant to relieve the overwhelmed 132 KV transmission line between Mutundwe sub-station and Masaka West sub-station.
However, residents say ever since their certificates of titles were taken, they have failed to get clear information on when they will get them back, creating fear that they may lose their land to land grabbers.
Ms Jessica Nalusiba, 70, on Tuesday told Daily Monitor that she might lose 3.5 acres of land which also hosts the family graveyard.
Ms Nalusiba, a resident of Kiteredde- Kingo Village in Kimaanya /Kabonera Municipality, said: ‘‘I’m getting older and weaker, I may die tomorrow and leave that title in their’[UETCL’s) custody, surely it will be very difficult for my family members to trace it since it’s in my name. Let President Museveni help us get our titles.’’
Ms Margaret Ntale, a resident of Kimwanyi Village, said her husband (the late James Ntale) handed the land title to UETCL officials, but all their efforts to recover it have been in vain.
‘’When my husband died in 2019, his siblings tried to look for that land title, but they were asked to produce a letter of administration, which they didn’t have. So we are now stuck,’’ she said.
Ms Juliet Kakande, the Masaka City woman MP, said that so far 43 landlords have reached out to her office, saying some unscrupulous individuals are already processing titles to their land due to delays from UETCL.
‘‘Many landlords are complaining that they can no longer make transactions since they don’t have the land titles, this has frustrated development in our area,” she said.
Ms Pamela Nalwanga Byoruganda, the UETCL public relations officer, said the problem could be resolved in the next six months.
She said there was a problem with survey data submitted to UETCL due to , among others, the changes in the land information system.
“This has, however, been discussed with the commissioner for surveys and mapping and a resolution has been reached ,” she said on Tuesday.
In the process of land acquisition, UETCL usually collects certificates of titles from Project-affected persons for mutation ( removing portion of land to be used for the project from the title) and transfer upon compensation.
The process is supposed to take less than a month at Ministry of Lands.
About project
The Masaka /Kawanda electricity transmission line was completed in 2018. It was funded by the government in collaboration with the World Bank to cater for the increasing demand of electricity in the districts of Wakiso, Mpigi, Kalungu and Masaka.
World Bank records show that the construction of the transmission line and associated sub station works cost $67.98 million (about Shs255 billion).
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