Fraudsters frustrating Sentema housing project-Buganda land board officials

Wakiso, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT |  Buganda Land Board-BLB is blaming fraudsters for frustrating the proposed Sentama Low Cost Housing Project in Wakiso district.  The project was launched last year as part of the Kingdom’s quest to uplift the living standards of Kabaka’s subjects.

The project would see the construction of fully furnished low cost housing units for middle income earners. However, the authorities note that when they declared the project, several opportunists swarmed the area spreading propaganda that the kingdom was on the verge of evicting the sitting tenants without compensating them.

Some of the opportunists illegally acquired huge chunks of land and are now asking for hefty compensations to give way for the project. Moses Kizito, a Mobilizer in Buganda Land Board, notes that ever since the kingdom launched the project, they started engaging the tenants on how to compensate or relocate them.

He however, says that some of the tenants became violent as the process was ongoing and started chasing kingdom officials sent to sensitise them on the project.

Uganda Radio Network approached some of the affected residents but they declined to comment on the matter. “Now the project is for the king. What will I say?” an old woman opposite Busiro County headquarters told our reporter before cursing Buganda Land Board officials.

Ben Sserunkuma, whom residents said has been following up the matter refused to divulge anything, saying despite the fact that he is aware of the prevailing challenges, he can’t speak because he is a parish chief under the Kingdom – Ow’omuluka.

Emmanuel Lutaaya, a resident of Bukungulu village in Kakiri Sub County told URN that ever since the project was announced, several people have been approaching them to sell their land. He also says Buganda Land Board officials have been acting in a non-transparent manner, which raises suspicion among residents.

“Whenever we ask them about compensation, they go around without giving us straight answers. At time they said that when the project starts we will be compensated. However, they changed and started telling us that we will occupy some of the houses to be built in the first phase,” Lutaaya said.

Simon Kabogoza, the head of Cooperate Affairs at Buganda Land Board, said they can’t evict the tenants without following the law amidst the frustration caused by fraudsters whose intention could be to fail the project.

He allayed the fears of residents that they would be evicted from their homes, saying no one would be evicted in the first phase of the project.

Mengo embarked on establishing income generating projects on its vast pieces of land. Through Buganda Investments and Commercial Undertakings Limited, the investment arm of the Kingdom, they undertook the construction of Mirembe Villas in Kigo valued at US$65M.

There are also plans to build low-cost housing units in Mayembe Ga Mbogo Village in Mpigi District. The kingdom also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Habitat for Humanity to construct ten low-cost housing units in all counties that make up Buganda Kingdom.

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URN