A row has erupted between Buganda Kingdom’s affiliate Buganda Land Board Ltd (BLB) and the family of late Sir Daudi Chwa II over compensation money for Kampala-Jinja Expressway.
In a statement dated June15, the Chwa family claims that whereas they are the rightful owners of the land in question (Block 273 Massaja), Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and BLB have embarked on the process of signing an MoU “where by BLB Ltd shall be obligated to shield the UNRA in case of any legal battles in future made by the family of the late H.H. Sir Daudi Chwa II.”
The letter signed off by Prince Kalemera HH. Kimera blames the Deputy Attorney General of Uganda for ill-advising UNRA over the matter.
The family claims that there’s a consent judgment between the Government of Uganda and a legal representative of the Chwa family for 250sq. miles which are now on court record (inclusive of the subject Block 273 Masajja).
They add that the consent was published in the Uganda Gazette, Vol. CIX NO. 39 of 2nd June 2016.
They add that there are subsisting issues surrounding the private estate of the late H.H. Sir Daudi Chwa II in regard to private or official ownership plus the administrators of the estate of the late Chwa and the beneficiaries in the said estate before court.
They add that “any money in compensation of property forming part of the estate (inclusive of the subject Block) be deposited with court pending the disposal of the issues before court.”
“He (Deputy Attorney General) advised the Executive Director of UNRA to instead pay all the compensation monies to the BLB Ltd and not to be deposited in the custody of High Court of Uganda Judiciary Accounts as advised by the High Court,” the family adds in a statement.
They also distance themselves from a one Chris Bakiza as their lawyer, noting that “he has never been introduced to the family as our lawyer. Even the administrators have never officially owned him.”
The construction of $1.1bn Kampala-Jinja Expressway kicked off this year, but it has largely been delayed by the huge displacement and resettlement of affected people and communities.
The design speed of the road will be up to 120kmph between Kampala and Jinja inclusive of an urban expressway section of design speed of up 100kmph.
The 95km road will comprise two distinct sections, the Kampala-Jinja mainline which is 77km and the Kampala Southern Bypass of 18km.
The Kampala-Jinja section will start at Shoprite, Lugogo Nakawa Division, going through Kyambogo where it will turn into Kinawataka and Kasokoso in Kira Municipality, Namanve and Mukono and end at the new Jinja Bridge in Njeru, Buikwe District.
About 10,000 people will be compensated and that Shs400bn has already been secured for the exercise.
