The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has directed the Minister for Works and Transport to act and stop ongoing construction works at the Spear Notors-Nakawa-Ntinda junction.
The Speaker made the directive after Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa rasied concern about what he termed as an illegal building coming up at junction.
“Hon. Minister you have all the information. The junction is opposite the Inspector of Vehicles (IOV), Spear Motors, along the road to Ntinda and the road to Jinja. You need to act and such areas should not be degraded because if they are, then we are threatened,” Oulanyah said.
Okupa told the House that in the 10th Parliament, he raised the matter when a fuel station was being built. He added that then, the House stopped the construction works. “There is illegal construction going on at the space around the Spear motors –Ntinda junction. The authorities (KCCA) claim that they are not aware of this development. We need to stop this illegal activity. It was stopped in the last Parliament but they have now fenced it off,” he said.
He added that the construction is on a wetland and a road reserve that belongs to UNRA, which will block drainage running from Crestfoam to Pepsi Cola if not handled well and thus leading to flooding.
The Minister for Information, Communication and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi said illegal construction in gazetted areas is a a challenge for the Uganda Land Board who have brought inspectors on board to address the issue.
“It’s a big challenge where Ugandans erect structures without necessary approvals. In 2020, the Ministry of Lands and Urban Planning brought an amendment of the Act which was passed and this strengthened the physical planning board. They work closely with KCCA to detect such structures and take immediate action, because there are laws to be followed, ” Baryomunsi said.
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