Govt demarcating wayleaves to check encroachment

By Owen Wagabaza

After years of saving and making huge sacrifi ces, Samuel Balinda fi nally completed his dream house in 2012. It was a three-bedroom bungalow in Banda, Kampala. Unfortunately, a few months after entering his house, Bagenda was served with a demolition notice from Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL), for building his house under a wayleave corridor.

Indeed, two months later, Bagenda's house was demolished. "We warned him several times not to build in that place but he ignored us. It is unfortunate that all his efforts went to waste," says a UETCL offi cial who preferred to remain anonymous.

Unfortunately, many people continue to infringe on wayleaves, putting their hard earned investments at risk. Infringement on wayleaves constitutes among others, building houses, kiosks or establishment of markets under power lines, planting of vegetation that compromises the clearance of conductors, as well as dumping soils and other waste materials under or next to the power pylons or poles.

It may also include fencing of wayleaves corridors that deny access for routine maintenance works, as well as brick laying and erection of brick kilns under the power lines.

What is a wayleave?

A wayleave is a right of way granted by the land or property owner for development. This may include erection and laying of power lines, rail line, highway roads, water mains, sewers, telephone cables or digging a footpath.

Robert Kakuru, a wayleaves offi cer at UETCL, says a wayleave corridor is defi ned by a particular radius from the centre of the high voltage transmission power line. That radius is supposed to be clear of any activity to ensure safety of life and property.

"This corridor measures 7m, 15m, 20m, or 30m on either side from the centre of the power lines, for 66kV, 132kV, 220kV and 400kV transmission lines respectively," says Kakuru.

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