A standoff has erupted in Mukono Municipality, where wealthy landowners are refusing to voluntarily surrender parts of their plots for road construction. This refusal is part of the Mukono facelift project under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area development plan.
This defiance has pitted the landowners against other residents who are also protesting the methods used by the construction company working on roads in the municipality. The residents are particularly opposed to the construction of the Nabutti road, arguing that the way it is being built will block access routes in some areas.
The impasse has drawn the attention of the Mukono RDC, Hajjat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, along with some building owners in the municipality. They have inspected the roads under construction, led by wealthy landowners Wilson Mukiibi Muzzanganda and Kaggwa.
Some of those whose land is traversed by this road have vowed to block the company from widening it, stating that it encroaches on their property. They argue this will hinder rather than help traffic flow in Mukono.
Engineer Olivia Nantongo explained that the plan to build a modern road was derailed by wealthy landowners whose land the road passes through. They are refusing to provide the land for free. However, she asked those who had already agreed to cede land to formally sign the documents.
Here, the RDC of Mukono District, Hajjat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, has ordered the road constructors to immediately halt construction until a new design that provides for the road's expansion is acquired.
Currently, several roads are under construction in Mukono Municipality under the Greater Kampala Infrastructure Development Program. The goal is to boost economic competitiveness in the region.
