Residents Along Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi Road Raise Concerns Over Road Construction and Land Encroachment
Summary:
- Some have raised concerns over the contractor’s extension of boundary markers beyond the agreed limits, which has led to confusion and distress among the community
Residents living along the Lake Bunyonyi tourism road construction project are expressing concerns about land encroachment and compensation issues. The 8.4-kilometre Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi road, being built by the Egyptian company Samcrete Egypt, is designed to connect Kabale town to Lake Bunyonyi, Africa’s second-deepest lake. The project was launched on June 14, 2025, and is expected to take 18 months to three years to complete.
According to Brian Nicholas Okabaki, the Community Liaison Officer for Samcrete Egypt, while significant progress has been made, challenges like unresolved compensation have slowed things down. He emphasized that the contractor’s extension of boundary markers was meant to provide adequate space for road construction and was not an attempt to seize land.
Engineer Alison Abenawe from the Ministry of Works and Transport confirmed that most affected residents have been compensated. However, some have raised concerns over the contractor’s extension of boundary markers beyond the agreed limits, which has led to confusion and distress among the community.
Several residents shared how the project has disrupted their lives. Akacungura Mariam, for example, said his house is at risk of collapsing due to the extended boundaries, and he has nowhere else to go. Turinawe Jeniffer, who sold her land for 40 million shillings but only received 37 million, expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation. Others, like Agness Sucess and Twesime Naiga, said they were forced to sign documents without proper explanation, leading to confusion over the amounts paid and the demolition of homes.
The affected residents are calling for the government to ensure fair compensation, better communication, and more sensitization about the project to avoid further distress.
