The Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) is currently carrying out an assessment and evaluation exercise on properties that will be destroyed along the 115 km road stretch that has been earmarked for the upgrade to tarmac this financial year.
More than 20 land claimants have emerged along the Kitgum-Kidepo road targeting compensation.
The
government is set to upgrade the 115 kilometres road linking Kitgum
Municipality, through Orom Sub-county to Karenga District from gravel to
standard bitumen. This is intended to target the tourism business in Kidepo
Valley National Park.
The
Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) is currently carrying out an assessment
and evaluation exercise on properties that will be destroyed along the road.
The councillor
representing Ibakara parish in Kitgum Matidi Town Council Denis Okumu Opwonya
says they discovered four unknown persons claiming ownership part of the land. The land is registered in the names of Kitgum Matidi Town Council.
Opwonya says that the people are claiming ownership of close
to over 80 meters stretch of the land.
According to
Opwonya, further inquiries to ascertain the actual claimants and how their
names appeared on the list are going on.
Opwonya
however accused the Kitgum Matidi Urban Council III leaders of fraudulently including
unknown people on the list purportedly as owners of public land.
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those people”//
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George
Canopwonya, the Chairperson for the project-affected persons in Kitgum Matidi
town council says they have received numerous complaints.
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The Kitgum
Matidi Town Council Chairperson Kenneth Oketayot Aroo says that he has notified
UNRA officials about the anomalies. Aroo however refuted claims that he registered the claimants.
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A section of
the residents has petitioned the Resident District Commissioner, Chief
Administrative Officer and UNRA to intervene in the matter.
Allan
Sempebwa the Media Relations Manager at UNRA says they do not condone any
corrupt tendencies although he made assurance they will ensure that only
genuine and rightful claimants are compensated.
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According to
Sempebwa, the assessment and evaluation process will undergo a series of
processes which includes a verification stage indicating actual
property owners earmarked to be compensated.
Last week,
the State Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development in charge of Urban
Development, Mario Obiga Kania cautioned locals against erecting structures along
the Kitgum-Kidepo road.
Obiga said
that those erecting structures on the road reserves won’t get any compensation.
Dan Michael Komakech
Freelancer