By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The management of Entebbe Municipality on June 10th, 2024, unveiled an Integrated Development master plan worth Shs9.6 billion that will run for 5 years.
The five-year project was launched by the State Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kyofatogabye Kabuye, and it aims at repairing and connecting all roads within Entebbe municipality on top of revamping Entebbe Central market.
Minister Kyofatogabye during the launch revealed that the Shs92.62 billion is a grant and loan from the World Bank and covers two components including a municipal development grant and an institutional strengthening grant -which is mainly for capacity building.
He urged Entebbe municipal authorities to understand the project well and ensure it fits into a bigger plan to avoid blunders when implementing it.
Minister Kyofatogabye asserts that if the five-year master plan project is well implemented, it will spur development activities within the municipality. Among the projects to be implemented include revamping roads such as Kitoro, Kiwafu, Katabi –Bunono, and Kitinda road plus Entebbe Central market.
In his remarks during an engagement meeting with stakeholders held at Entebbe municipal council headquarters, Minister Kyofatogabye told Entebbe municipal officials that the release of funds for the project for each financial year will be based on performance and failure to do so, the project will be halted or terminated with immediate effect.
“Failure to yield good results, you will lose the money and eventually the project will be terminated with immediate effect. The project was carefully designed and will expire in 2028. Make sure you identify roads that can open up to Entebbe Municipality and ensure each road connects to the major trunk road. In doing so, make sure there is a functional grievance committee put in place to handle loopholes that may lead to suspension of the project, “Minister Kyofatogabye appealed to municipal officials.
Regarding waste management, Minister Kyofatogabye admitted that it’s a big problem in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan area saying he was impressed with the way Entebbe Municipality has tried to address the issue.
He added that Entebbe municipality would be used as a pilot study project for waste management.
The Entebbe Municipal Council Town Clerk, Emmanuel Mugisha Gakyalo pledged to implement the project effectively to achieve its set objectives.
“If we move on to perform well within the given period, we shall be able to access all the Shs 92.62 billion. Every financial year, we will get a fraction of the said money approximately to the tune of Shs. 25 billion. In this year’s financial year ending on June 30th, we received Shs 391 million under the institutional strengthening grant. The money came two months ago, and we were able to look at the activities that would easily be implemented within that period and so far we are moving on well. For the case of Municipal development grant we shall begin to access the money in the next financial year 2024/2025, “Mr. Mugisha noted.
Mr. Emmanuel Gakyalo Mugisha expressed concern about the lack of money to compensate the project-affected persons and that to make matters worse council has no land title for Entebbe Central market yet it’s the oldest market in Entebbe Municipality.
He however noted that the council is engaging community members to sacrifice a few inches of their land during road construction and that plans are underway to secure a land title for Entebbe central market.
“As Entebbe municipal council, we have no resources for compensation and so our approach is to engage community members to understand the project. To have a superb road passing in front of your house is a big thing. Obviously, the value of your property will rise up and people should appreciate this as we engage them so that they can welcome the project. Certainly, landowners have nothing to lose by giving a few inches for the road reserves and part of their land to make sure we have standard road infrastructures. The design for the proposed roads includes walkways for pedestrians, street lights, and covered drainage systems.
“We are scaling up community engagements with land owners where the roads are going to pass and so far the engagements are positive. Nonetheless, if we don’t get consent from land owners then we can’t proceed and people need to understand this because the implication is big and it means you have denied a community the project because you are unwilling to offer a few inches of your plot. Note, that the World Bank doesn’t offer money for compensation and it’s the implementing entity to compensate the project-affected persons as a council this money is not there and our approach is continuous engagement with the community. Our last engagement with community members was encouraging, implying we are moving on fairly. Given this positivity, I believe we shall be able to realize what we intend to implement on the ground for the benefit of Entebbe Municipality and its people.
“With regard Entebbe Central market, the project is still in balance because there are conditions we must first satisfy for example we must have a land title in the name of Entebbe Municipal Council and we are working on it tirelessly. Once this is done, we shall have a modern market under this five-year project, “Town Clerk Emmanuel Mugisha expressed optimism.
Councilors speak out on the project
The LCIV Councilor for Katabi/Busambaga ward, Ronald Sewankambo, said though the five-year project is appealing; it doesn’t cater to boda stages and tasked the council to put up gazetted boda stages while implementing the project.
“The project should address issues of boda riders because they equally play a key role in the transport sector. Council should gazette boda stages which are suitable for boda riders in addition to creating shade around them, “Councilor Sewankambo expressed concern.
The speaker of Entebbe Division ‘A’, Ronald Kafeero Complex, who is one of the project-affected persons said he is unhappy with the lack of compensation by the council and asked the council to carry out enough community engagements to resolve this issue with land owners.
The Councilor for Lugonjo/Nakiwogo zone, Margret Namakula, said it’s unfortunate that many people are not going to be compensated and to make matters worse they have been ambushed. She, however, asked the council to postpone the project to enable her to brief her development on the benefits of immediate.
