MUKONO — Mukono District leaders have called for greater transparency in land acquisition and compensation for communities affected by the 92.4-kilometre Kampala–Jinja Expressway project.
The demand was made on Monday during a meeting between the Parliamentary Committee on National Economy and Mukono District leaders, where the Ministry of Works and Transport technical team briefed local officials on the project’s Resettlement Action Plan (RAP).
The project comprises the 72.4-kilometre Kampala–Jinja Expressway mainline and the 20-kilometre Kampala Southern Bypass.
Mukono District LCV Chairperson, Hon. Francis Lukooya Mukoome, raised concern over what he described as the marginalisation of local communities and local government structures in the project’s implementation framework.
He urged project authorities to strengthen community engagement and consultation to prevent land disputes and other conflicts that could undermine the project.
“Communities directly affected by development projects must be fully engaged,” Lukooya said.
He cited the Ntenjeru–Bule–Mpata road project as an example of how meaningful consultation can build public support, noting that residents voluntarily offered land after being properly engaged.
Lukooya said that although the expressway is a national infrastructure project, Mukono is among its principal beneficiaries and should therefore be given a meaningful role in monitoring its implementation.
“While this is a national venture, Mukono remains a principal beneficiary and will actively demand accountability,” he said.
Mukono Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Hajjati Fatuma Ndisaba, also called for full disclosure of the project’s compensation register.
She requested an itemised report showing the names and status of beneficiaries who have already received compensation, those still awaiting payment, and the official reasons for any delays.
Ndisaba further raised concerns over utility companies allegedly damaging newly constructed municipal roads while carrying out excavation works.
To improve coordination and minimise operational conflicts, she proposed the establishment of a Joint Technical and Political Coordination Committee comprising the District Chairperson, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), district engineers, environmental officers, utility companies and representatives of affected communities.
Responding to the concerns, National Economy Committee Chairperson Hon. Avuru Jane Pacuto assured district leaders that Parliament considers land acquisition and compensation issues arising from major infrastructure projects a matter of urgency because of their potential impact on national economic performance.
Pacuto pledged to escalate concerns regarding decentralisation and community oversight to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government for further consideration and possible legislative intervention.
The meeting ended with a call for stronger collaboration among Parliament, central government ministries, local governments, project implementers and affected communities.
The stakeholders agreed that effective coordination and transparent compensation processes would be critical to ensuring that the Kampala–Jinja Expressway promotes regional connectivity and economic integration without disenfranchising communities hosting the project.
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