Hoima city residents protest over day in road construction
HOIMA– Police in Hoima Oil City spent hours trying to arrest a group of youth who had staged a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday accusing an Indian investor of delaying construction works on a major road in the city.
The youth, led by Moses Aguuda organised a peaceful demonstration following several demands for the demolition of a building belonging to an Indian national thatthey claim has failed the tarmacking of 0.45-kilometre Rwetuha road in Hoima East city division in vain.
The Rwetuha connects to Persy and Kafu roads which are also being tarmacked. The youth claimed the building hindering road works was constructed in the road reserve.
The 0.45km Rwetuha road is part of the 4.28km roads which were offered to Hoima city for tarmacking by Uganda National Roads Authorities as they constructed the 67-kilometer Bulima-Kabwoya road.
Chinese Railway No.5 Engineering Group Company Limited was the main contractor for Bulima-Kabwoya road and the 4.28km roads are being tarmacked by Chongqing International Construction Corporation CICO) as a subcontractor.
The building that has stalled the road works belongs to King Star Ali an Indian investor in Hoima city and houses a hardware shop. The investor Ali is said to have bought the building from Business Man one Anthony Kimera in 2012 at a cost of Shs 100 million.
The contractor cleared the Kafu road and stopped behind the building as he could not connect to Persy road, a road which is in front of the King Star building.
The youth carrying placards with different statements like, “King star give way to our road” first moved around the town before pitching camp at King Star hardware shop.
The security guard at the King star fired several bullets to scare away the group in vain and this forced several business communities along Persy road to close business in fear.
When the situation started worsening anti-riot police from Hoima city central police station stormed the area to arrest Moses Aguuda, the former Hoima East Division Parliamentary aspirant and Bunyoro region National unity platform (NUP) coordinator.
When the group saw police advancing, they took off and left Moses Aguuda sited at the veranda hardware shop where he was arrested by police.
Aguuda told the cooperator news before his arrest that as citizens they were concerned about leaving out this road without being constructed yet it was in plan.
He notes that this is a public road that should not be left out in favor of one individual with a structure built in the road reserve.
He said that originally there was a road in the area where the structure was built and demanded to know who allowed the first owner Kimera to erect a building in the road reserve.
He also wondered why Ali was blocking the road yet other people (nationals) had allowed their structures to be demolished for different roads.
Aguuda said that as concerned citizens they had petitioned the Hoima city Authorities to intervene and save the road but the city Authorities kept a deaf ear.
Godfrey Kamara and Rony Bainomugisa, residents in Hoima town, supported the demonstrating youth, saying that since leaders have failed to listen to the calls of the citizens.
They claimed that it is unrealistic to lose such a project worth millions of money that would last for years and benefit generations because of an individual with a structure in the road reserve.
Last week Ali said that he was ready to demolish his building because he has an approved building plan and a land title acquired in 1969. He said he bought the building knowing that it was in the right place. “I have nothing much to comment but as I have told you, this building is here legally and the law will take its course,” he said.
Julius Hakiiza the Albertine region police spokesperson confirmed the arrest adding that the suspects will be charged with inciting violence.
https://thecooperator.news/residents-irked-by-poor-roads-in-sebei-sub-region/
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