Katosi road residents cry out to Museveni over compensation

INFRASTRUCTURE

Ten years after the 74km Mukono-Katosi road project started, scores of residents affected by the project are still crying foul over non-payment of their compensation by Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).

Although the road is virtually complete, some residents are bitter and claim that they were duped into allowing the road works before being paid, adding that they are now suspicious about the availability of their money.

The residents, especially in Ntenjeru parish, have since cried out to President Yoweri Museveni to  intervene in the matter of their delayed compensation.

At the beginning of last year, the project affected persons thwarted efforts by other utility projects like the installation of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) line through their land up to Katosi landing site.

They were, however, convinced to allow the project to go on with promises that their compensation was being worked on. But to date, the victims are still crying foul.

Deborah Kyeyune, one of the affected persons from Ntenjeru, said that ever since the project started in 2010, she has been pursuing the compensation cash in vain. She said her land title, which she could have used as collateral to get money from financial institutions, was taken by UNRA.

"At first, they had valued me as a kibanja holder. I protested and this was changed. I submitted all the necessary documents, including my bank account and the land title from which they would parcel off the affected land, but up to now, not a single penny has been paid to me.  I am now 70 years, do they want to pay me when I am dead?" she wondered.

Last year, Ntenjeru village chairperson, Peter Kyasa, also acknowledged that several residents had not been paid. But Kyasa added that majority of those pending payment had complained to UNRA about underpayment resulting from undervaluation of their properties.

UNRA responds
The UNRA media relations manager, Allan Sempebwa Kyobe, admitted that there were persons whose compensation is still pending along the Mukono-Katosi road.

He, however, explained; "We had several pending concerns arising out of individual disputes and under valuation. They have been captured in the supplementary report awaiting approval from the Chief Government valuer. Otherwise, most project affected persons have been paid."

Last year, there were reports that beneficiaries' money could have been embezzled by UNRA, a claim that Kyobe dismissed as untrue. He explained that the delay was because those who complained were having their land revalued.

The project background
Although registration of project affected persons started in 2010, President Museveni flagged off the road works on July 7, 2014, as a fulfillment of the pledge he made in 1996.

But the project was marred by a lot of scandals after it was discovered that an advance payment of sh24.7b was paid to a ghost firm that claimed to be Eutaw Construction Company of the US whereas not.

The IGG also discovered that the contract was awarded without doing enough due diligence and that the advance payment by UNRA was based on forged bank and insurance guarantees.

Two former UNRA staff and businessman Apollo Senkeeto alias Mark Kalyesubula, who claimed to be the representative of Eutaw in Uganda, were in August last year found guilty of a number of cases by the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Justice Lawrence Gidudu.

Joe Ssemugooma, UNRA's former director of Finance and Administration and Wilberforce Senjako, the former regional accountant were sentenced to five years each for abuse of office, which led to the loss of sh24.7b.

Ssemugooma was handed another five years in jail for negligence of duty, while Senkeeto was sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft of public funds. Government later gave the contract to a new firm, Reynolds Construction Company, which has since completed the works.