The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) through the Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) consulting limited in conjunction with Hoima City, has commenced community engagements seeking lands to facilitate the construction and tarmacking of support road facilities for the AFCON tournament.
In 2027, Hoima City Stadium in Kyarwiru, Hoima City will co-host AFCON matches.
The engagements seek to acquire thirty-four kilometres of land within about six roads linking to the stadium.
The plan is on Rujumba road (from Masindi main road leading to the VIP entrance and around the stadium), Hoima City offices via Kyarwabuyamba-Bulinda-Kyarwiru road.
Kyentale-Buhanika via Buteber-Kikwatamigo are among the roads planned for tarmacking.
Other roads include Butebere-Kichwamba, Buhiimba-Kigarama-Kitaagi, Kinogozi road and Kicwamba-Kyakabuubi road.
In a community engagement with MBW in Kyarwabuyamba, Elizabeth Aisu, a team leader at MBW Consult Limited said that the program is one of the demands of AFCON, specifically aimed at decongesting and easing movement during AFCON tournament time.
Aisu said that the ongoing exercise includes the feasibility study and drawing of road designs and will take two months for construction works to commence.
However, she told the residents that the program does not cover compensation despite government requests for free land from communities.
“Though, structures that will be destroyed like fences will be replaced and also special considerations for those who will have lost big portions of their lands,” she noted.
While meeting communities in Kyarwabuyamba, Hoima City, Mayor Brian Kaboyo who is also a member of the AFCON National Local Organising Committee (LOC) appealed for maximum cooperation from both residents and local leaders.
The cooperation, he said, is to ensure that the project is achieved within the little time frame.
“It’s only one year from now to AFCON 2027, therefore, we appeal to you to give the contractors maximum cooperation by allowing them to acquire the little plots of land: this was the request from you”
“As a government, we request that both the landlords and local council leaders consent by signing the land acquisition documents provided to you to ensure smooth running of the project,” Kaboyo urged.
However, none of the officials was in a position to disclose the amount allocated for the entire project.
Meanwhile, the landlords expressed their readiness to offer portions of their lands for the project but appealed for quality work.
Other residents expressed their concerns over the increasing traffic crashes, urging the contractors to install street lights for road safety, especially during night hours.
“We appeal to the contractors to have proper work done including street light installation for our better movement at night,” one resident, speaking for many, urged.
Hoima East Division mayor, Bosco Muhanuzi appreciated the government for considering the selected roads, saying that it will relieve the division from financial constraints.
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