Residents of Awuvu Cell in Rhino Camp Town Council, Madi Okollo district are protesting the delayed compensation by the Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA.
In 2015, the government embarked on the construction of the Amuru-Rhino-Camp ferry project on the River Nile in fulfillment of President Yoweri Museveni’s pledge to the people of the Madi-Okollo district. The landing site which houses office blocks, staff quarters, toilet facilities, a fence, and a waiting shed for passengers sits on a piece of land measuring 200 by 115 meters which was donated by the local community.
However, the residents argue that they are yet to receive their compensation, for more than eight years after.
Fideli Agotre, one of the affected residents told URN that they have consistently reminded UNRA about compensation, in vain. He says they plan to block the current works at the landing site in protest of their delayed compensation.
“If they don’t want to compensate us, we are going to stop this work until we get compensated. It has really delayed for a long time”, he said.
Lillian Angucia another resident says that they were hoodwinked to surrender their land for the construction of the ferry land site but up to now, they haven’t been paid any compensation.
According to Alfred Mawa, a resident of Awuvu Cell in Rhino camp town council, UNRA valued the community land at 65 million shillings, but there hasn’t been a response.
But, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Communications Manager Allan Ssempebwa says they have been grappling with financial challenges which have delayed the compensations of the projected affected persons across the country.
He however appeals for calm among the residents noting that they remain committed to compensating persons affected by the project since it’s a responsibility they cannot run away from.
The Amuru-Rhino-Camp ferry project which is valued at over 1 billion shillings is being implemented through the Force Account (FA) mechanism, a means of undertaking works of a Procuring and Disposing Entity (PDE) using its own personnel and equipment.