The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nalongo Estates Company has officially handed back to the government 2 acres of land at Centenary park to pave way for the construction of the Kampala Fly Over. The land is part of the 4.7 acres Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA leased to the company.
Uganda National Roads Authority asked for two acres of the land to construct the fly over which Nalongo Estates agreed to surrender. However, a conflict erupted sometime back when KCCA asked Nalongo Estates to surrender the entire 4.7 acres on grounds they had not put into consideration the land needed for the leisure park and flood-detention ponds when they asked for 2 acres.
Nalongo Estates objected to the move. Now, the KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka says after numerous talks, they agreed that KCCA takes up the two acres and hands them to UNRA to start preparations for the construction as the talks on the other piece of land continues.
Sarah Kizito, the proprietor of Nalongo Estates Company says they are glad to hand over the 2 acres because that is what had been asked for and agreed upon. Kizito vowed to continue fighting for the remaining 2.7 that the government wanted to takeover.
The road constructions will affect about nine businesses at Centenary park which rented space from the Estates Company. The proprietor of Momo Drive Thru, a small snacks shop at Centenary park is one of those located in the 2 acres.
Hajjat as she is referred to says she is waiting for communication from her landlord about the matter. She hopes that they will find them space on the remaining land. The affected businesses are those near Jinja road. We couldn’t talk to many of them because those authorized to speak were not present at the time and couldn’t be reached.
Nevertheless, employees who spoke to us said they were waiting for instructions on the next course of action from their bosses. Kizito says according to the Memorandum of Understanding entered with KCCA, they will have to be given an eight months’ notice to vacate the area and that is what she will give her tenants.
According to UNRA, constructions at the site shall start immediately after the first phase of the works is completed at Clock Tower. The first phase that started July 2019 is planned to last 32 months. The second phase which includes works construction in the area is planned to last 42 months.
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