The Head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema, has assured lawful residents of the proposed Bukasa Inland Port in Wakiso District that they will have their properties properly valued and compensated.
Lt Col Nakalema gave the assurance on Wednesday while in Bukasa Kirinya village, Bweyogerere Division of Kiira Municipality, where she addressed residents centering on complaints of alleged under-valuation of their properties.
The meeting was in response to residents’ complaints that their houses are being undervalued in the process of paving way for the project, being implemented by the Ministry of Works and Transport.
A total of 2,738 properties were earmarked for compensation. However, there has been an outcry over alleged discrepancies during the valuation exercise.
Less than 1,000 of the total claimants received assessment forms. The project affected persons (PAPs) who say they have waited for display and amendment of the list in vain.
They complained that some people with small properties have been shortlisted for huge benefits while those owning large assets have been given peanuts.
“This is Government land. The lawful claimants, who have developments, will be compensated. Everyone will be valued. I am pleased to note that you are supporting a Government project,” she said.
Nakalema observed that there was a need to appoint an independent team of technical people to do a re-evaluation. She, therefore, asked the claimants to appoint a committee to be led by their LC 1 Chairperson, John Kaddu, to make a follow up on the matter with the Anti- Corruption Unit on Monday 11th November 2019.
She informed the claimants that Albertine Consultants Ltd would be investigated over the discrepancies in the compensation efforts.
Nakalema asked the Uganda Police to investigate the Commissioner for Transport Services, Ms. Rose Tibiwa, over alleged connivance in the bad valuation of the property in Bukasa.
She also asked the Police to investigate an ISO Officer, Majid Kiwanuka, over his role in inciting wananchi and causing confusion.
The LC 1 Chairperson, John Kaddu, revealed that officials of the Ministry of Works and Transport asked the residents to present their assessment forms well knowing that a good number of them never received any.
He added that some of the assessment forms that were presented do not correspond to those in the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Kaddu, therefore, requested the Ministry of Works and Transport to post to the area the officers handling the Bukasa Inland Port Project in order to ease the process for the residents.
