Buganda Kingdom Minister for Special Assignments Owek. David F.K. Mpanga has described the controversy surrounding the Lugave clan ‘sacred tree’ that was cut down by Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), as a lack of proper environmental and social impact assessment.
UNRA on Friday cut down the spiritual tree along under-construction Kampala-Mpigi Expressway.
The tree known as Nabukalu belonged to Lugave Clan of Buganda Kingdom and it had been preserved for years over sacred reasons.
Commenting about the matter, Owek Mpanga said the destroying of the tree showed the condescending/ essentially racist and hostile attitude that Abrahamic religions have towards native belief systems.
“Lots of sniggering about the Lugave Clan Tree but there are underlying questions which should be considered. Let’s start this thread with the basic one – what is the value of a tree? I suppose the answer depends on who you ask. In Japan trees are relocated to make way for roads,”Mpanga tweeted yesterday.
” If you think I am wrong, pause and think for a moment how much would have been paid in compensation for a church or a mosque. If your instinctive response to that is “They are not the same!” you are proving my point,”the city lawyer added.
The controversy around the Lugave Clan Tree speaks to the lack of a proper Environmental and Social Impact assessment. It also speaks to the condescending (essentially racist) and hostile attitude that Abrahamic religions have towards native belief systems.
— David F.K. Mpanga (@dfkm1970) March 10, 2022
UNRA’s move to cut down Nabukalu followed the decision by the Mpigi High Court to dismiss a case filed by members of the Lugave Clan who sought to be paid Shs500 million for the sacred tree before it is destroyed to allow construction of Kampala-Busega-Mpigi Expressway.
Lugave clan members had disagreed with cutting down the tree claiming it is sacred. They demanded for Shs500m as compensation for allowing the Shs300 billion Busega-Mpigi Expressway to pass through their piece of land that houses the tree.
The head of public relations at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Allan Ssempebwa disclosed that the court ordered that the tree owners be compensated with Shs 4.6 Million as per the determination of the Chief Government Valuer (CGV).
The Shs4.6m is for the entire land where the tree is located, which measures about 0.083 decimals.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Works and Transport Gen Edward Katumba Wamala revealed that part of the construction works of Kampala-Mpigi Expressway had been delayed due to some people who demanded Shs500 million as compensation for cutting down a ‘spiritual tree’ along the expressway so that the works can proceed.
Gen Katumba told Parliament that government through UNRA was trying to negotiate with the clan heads who claim that all their spirits are in that one tree but the talks were yet to yield fruits.
“We don’t take land without compensation an example is a tree along Mpigi-Kampala Expressway where one clan says all their spirits are in that one tree. They are asking for Shs500m and we can’t move. They have been offered Shs150m and they say it can’t appease the spirits,” Katumba told Parliament.
The Minister made the revelation while presenting the Report on the delay in compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project.
He further informed the house that the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway was supposed to commence in 2023 and this is highly dependent on the land acquisition.
Katumba also noted that any further delay in acquiring land will increase the cost of compensating the Projected affected persons.
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