In this news report, the government has secured funds in the current financial year to compensate residents affected by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project in Tororo district. The compensation had been delayed due to documentation issues and land ownership disputes. The government is also actively working to reopen boundaries and protect the acquired corridor from encroachments, extending from Malaba border to Iganga in preparation for the project’s groundbreaking next year.
David Mugabe Alele, the SGR senior public relations officer, emphasized that these efforts are aimed at safeguarding the land from encroachments. He mentioned that, apart from institutions and the Kasoli housing estate, funds are ready to compensate 60 project-affected people, which is less than 10% of the 1,735 compensated individuals in Tororo district.
Mugabe discussed the government’s position regarding some project-affected persons who had received compensation but later returned to the land, which was deemed unacceptable. Some recipients had mismanaged their compensation money, spending it on alcohol and other expenses without proper relocation plans.
The government’s focus is on protecting a 140km stretch from Malaba to Iganga initially. Compensation is ongoing in districts like Tororo, Butaleja, Namutumba, Bugweri, Iganga, Luuka, and plans are underway to compensate PAPs in the Jinja area. Land acquisition remains a significant activity, with 140km of land already fully acquired and paid for in seven districts. The project will continue into Jinja, Mukono, Bwikwe, Wakiso, and Kampala, with the aim of handing over the land to the contractor unencumbered.
