The Minister of State for Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, has urged Members of Parliament to support the government’s proposal for land reforms aimed at facilitating the acquisition of land in the public interest for critical infrastructure projects. He made these remarks while addressing the Parliament’s Budget Committee during the presentation of the fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) at Parliament on January 6, 2025. He highlighted the pressing issue of lengthy court battles over land compensation values, which have resulted in significant financial burdens for the government. “Uganda is incurring substantial costs due to idle loans that have been delayed because of these legal challenges; we need land reforms for the acquisition of right of way in public interest,” Lugoloobi said. “This has continued to be a very big challenge,We have borrowed a lot of money, concessional, and these loans, though concessional, have delayed on our books,” he added. He elaborated on the difficulties faced in project implementation, particularly in road construction, where gaining the right of way has proven to be a time-consuming process. “Consider the East African Crude Pipeline; while it was very easy to start construction in Tanzania, when it came to the side of Uganda, it turned out to be a very big problem,” he noted, stressing the need for reforms to streamline land acquisition processes. Minister Lugoloobi’s call for support comes at a time when the government aims to transform Kampala into a modern city over the next five years, alleviating issues of congestion, pollution, and petty crime that have long plagued the capital. The minister noted that the Kampala metropolitan area is going to be positioned as Uganda’s logistical hub, a catalyst and springboard for increasing productivity in all aspects of the economy, including foreign direct investments (FDI), tourism, efficient public services, and a highly improved quality of life. He therefore urged the MPs to look at the proposed reforms as essential in enhancing infrastructure development and also for positioning Uganda as a competitive player in the regional economy. |
