The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of State for ICT Peter Ogwang has given a two months’ ultimatum to people encroaching on UBC land in Arua to vacate.
The minister issued the directive during a tour of government ICT facilities in Arua district and the City on Thursday, where he was told that over three acres of part of the titled land belonging to the government at Ombaci Satellite Station have been encroached on. The land is hosting the UBC West Nile Channel and BBC masts.
The Minister’s team was told that over ten people living around the satellite station took advantage of the vacant and unfenced land to cultivate close to the satellite mast. Two of the ten encroachers have built houses on part of the land, seven of them are cultivating Mairungi and other crops around the station, while one has sold part of the land to another person.
Paul Badang, one of the staff of UBC at Ombaci Satellite Centre said the encroachers have taken 2.5 acres of land.
However, Ogwang ordered the Arua Resident District Commissioner-RDC to ensure that the encroachers leave the land in two weeks. According to the minister, the government has already allocated 20 billion Shillings to fully establish regional broadcasting centres effective July this year.
Ombaci Satellite was built in the 1970s by the then President Iddi Amin Dada to connect West Nile to Central and Eastern Africa.
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