Egypt to build new Masese landing site
Mar 14, 2005
The wind is blowing heavily the dust that is being loaded onto the trucks at the new site at Masese fish landing site.
By Patrick Jaramogi
The wind is blowing heavily the dust that is being loaded onto the trucks at the new site at Masese fish landing site.
About 1,000 fishermen and traders will soon get a newly refurbished market courtesy of the Egyptian government.
The market they have been utilising for the last 30 years was allocated to an Egyptian investor, El Gendy to construct a boat and ship assembling plant.
To the traders, life will not be the same again in this small suburb located 4km from the source of the Nile.
“We have been here since the 1980s. We have produced children, who have grown and joined us here. Our grand children are also here. How can they just tell us to relocate?†a trader, Hakim Mulongo said furiously.
He said the Egyptian investor wanted them evicted immediately.
“But I am happy the municipal authorities treated us humanely. We are grateful and shall move happily to the new market,†he said with a smile.
The Jinja Municipal town clerk, David Kigenyi, said during a visit to the site that the traders would not be evicted before a permanent home was built for them.
“These are voters and any inhumane treatment can backfire,†he said.
The Government, through the Fisheries Department, contacted the Egyptian government to contract the landing site.
The Egyptian government donated $100,000 (sh174m), expertise and equipment that we shipped in from Egypt,†said Dr Ahmed Ragab, the head of Mission Egyptian Irrigation Department in Uganda.
“Our main objective is to secure a livelihood for the local people, economic growth for the sub-country as well as control the accumulated weed on the lake shores and increase fish supply,†he said.
He said the Egyptian construction firm, Mosahamet Elbehera Company, under the Uganda-Egypt Aquatic Weed Control Project, was doing the work.
When the traders relocate, the construction of a ship and boat assembling plant under the African Development Corporation (an Egyptian firm) will begin.
“So far we have harvested 7,000 tonnes of weed from the lake and used over 15,000 tonnes of murram to gravel the new site,†Ragab said.
“We have a mutual co-operation with our sister nation Uganda. We have secured yet another grant to construct 32 landing sites and markets around the country,†the Egyptian minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr Mahmoud Abu Zeid, said.
Among the completed landing sites funded by the Egyptian government are Port Bell on Lake Victoria, Wanseko on Lake Albert, and Kikoge and Kitalaganya on Lake Kyoga.
The Commissioner for Fisheries, Dick Nyeko said they could not throw out citizens. “We agreed with the investor that the traders be given time.â€
He explained that it was important for any investment to have a good working relationship with the local people.
“We are preparing the new site to relocate the traders,†he said. He said there was no way El Gendy would be blocked from constructing a boat and ship plant, which would benefit the community and the country in general.
Kigenyi said they would build the necessary infrastructure such as roads, toilets and kiosks before relocating the traders.
He said the construction of the infrastructure had delayed because of delayed funds.
The wind is blowing heavily the dust that is being loaded onto the trucks at the new site at Masese fish landing site.
About 1,000 fishermen and traders will soon get a newly refurbished market courtesy of the Egyptian government.
The market they have been utilising for the last 30 years was allocated to an Egyptian investor, El Gendy to construct a boat and ship assembling plant.
To the traders, life will not be the same again in this small suburb located 4km from the source of the Nile.
“We have been here since the 1980s. We have produced children, who have grown and joined us here. Our grand children are also here. How can they just tell us to relocate?†a trader, Hakim Mulongo said furiously.
He said the Egyptian investor wanted them evicted immediately.
“But I am happy the municipal authorities treated us humanely. We are grateful and shall move happily to the new market,†he said with a smile.
The Jinja Municipal town clerk, David Kigenyi, said during a visit to the site that the traders would not be evicted before a permanent home was built for them.
“These are voters and any inhumane treatment can backfire,†he said.
The Government, through the Fisheries Department, contacted the Egyptian government to contract the landing site.
The Egyptian government donated $100,000 (sh174m), expertise and equipment that we shipped in from Egypt,†said Dr Ahmed Ragab, the head of Mission Egyptian Irrigation Department in Uganda.
“Our main objective is to secure a livelihood for the local people, economic growth for the sub-country as well as control the accumulated weed on the lake shores and increase fish supply,†he said.
He said the Egyptian construction firm, Mosahamet Elbehera Company, under the Uganda-Egypt Aquatic Weed Control Project, was doing the work.
When the traders relocate, the construction of a ship and boat assembling plant under the African Development Corporation (an Egyptian firm) will begin.
“So far we have harvested 7,000 tonnes of weed from the lake and used over 15,000 tonnes of murram to gravel the new site,†Ragab said.
“We have a mutual co-operation with our sister nation Uganda. We have secured yet another grant to construct 32 landing sites and markets around the country,†the Egyptian minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Dr Mahmoud Abu Zeid, said.
Among the completed landing sites funded by the Egyptian government are Port Bell on Lake Victoria, Wanseko on Lake Albert, and Kikoge and Kitalaganya on Lake Kyoga.
The Commissioner for Fisheries, Dick Nyeko said they could not throw out citizens. “We agreed with the investor that the traders be given time.â€
He explained that it was important for any investment to have a good working relationship with the local people.
“We are preparing the new site to relocate the traders,†he said. He said there was no way El Gendy would be blocked from constructing a boat and ship plant, which would benefit the community and the country in general.
Kigenyi said they would build the necessary infrastructure such as roads, toilets and kiosks before relocating the traders.
He said the construction of the infrastructure had delayed because of delayed funds.