The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda National Roads Authority -UNRA has been sued by a businessman who is seeking an additional payment of 2.1 billion Shillings arising from the undervaluation of his property which was affected by the Kira-Matugga road project.
In a suit filed before the Civil Division of High Court in Kampala, the businessman John Mugisha says that on December 13, 2018, UNRA notified him to halt construction works on his land located at block 185, plot 967 Namugongo, along the Kasangati road, to pave way for an assessment of the property because it was one of those affected by the road project.
The agency completed the valuation of his land and property on December 16, 2019, and placed the value at 4.6 billion shillings. But on September 17, 2020, UNRA reportedly notified Mugisha that compensation valuation has been revised from the agreed sum of 4.6 billion to 2.8 billion Shillings. The said money was deposited into Mugisha’s account in October 2020.
But Mugisha says that his private surveyors of Hillscape Valuers Limited valued the land at five billion Shillings. The land has a structure of an L-shape Hotel Block, a boundary hall, a gatehouse, an overhead water tank, flower bed and trees. Mugisha says that the said hotel block has an operating bakery and a restaurant linking the front part and adjoining conference hall block and a recreation garden behind the main hotel block with shared washrooms and lavatories.
Mugisha says that UNRA varied the compensation and excluded one of the buildings on the site, on the assumption that the demolition of the front part would not affect the structural integrity of the hind side of the structure. He adds that the L-Shape Hotel Block and conference hall bear a marriage value and demolition of the front block renders the other part redundant and of no commercial value.
He now wants the court to compel UNRA to pay him his balance of 2.1 billion Shillings, special damages of 21 million Shillings to cover valuation fees, general damages and interest from the cut-off date of September 3, 2019, until full payments are made. He also wants an order to expedite the subdivision process of his land to cut off the affected portion and return the residue and costs of the suit.
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