KAMPALA: Judith Nabakooba, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, has told people who used to live on the Nakawa-Naguru land to accept the money the government is giving them.
The tenants rejected a 40.562 billion compensation offered by the government, which would see each tenant get 17 million shillings. They are instead demanding that the amount be increased to 50 million shillings.
There will be no extra money for the people who used to live in Nakawa-Naguru. After meeting with the Adhoc Committee of Parliament, Nabakooba told journalists that people who used to live in Nakawa-Naguru will not get any money for the land.
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She acknowledged that her ministry was already aware of the former tenants and that the government promised to compensate them. She, however, asked that the claimants accept the initial amounts agreed upon.
If it is 17 million shillings, then that is what they should stick to because they may want to get more than that because if the small amount is not coming through, then what assurance do you have that the bigger amount will come? All I can ask of them is to be patient so that we can have enough time to engage the Ministry of Finance so that money can be found, “said Nabakooba.
On Thursday, Simon Barigo, the Association Chairman, said that the amount is way lower than the value of Naguru land and that the matter has dragged on for over 15 years after the government failed to honor its compensation promise.
The extraordinary meeting of the former tenants, which was held on March 13, 2022, resolved that compensation in monetary terms be raised from 17.79 million to 50 million per unit. Barigo: “If the government doesn’t pay, the land should be given to the former tenants of Naguru so that they can build it up.”
The Adhoc Committee, chaired by Kazo County MP, Dan Kimosho, earlier questioned Nabakooba about her role in the land and the clashes with the State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja.
Nabakooba said that there was no clash between the ministers.
Kimosho said that next week, his committee will meet with the former ministers of the Ministry of Lands. They will then write a report for parliament to read.
