In 2016, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni pledged to construct a permanent home for the carpenters who were operating in the Nsambya-Ggaba road reserve for more than 20 years, For the project, the State House invested more than UGX 3 billion including buying land in Kigo, machines and constructing workshops.
Under the same project, the government intends to establish a state-of-the-art carpentry and joinery village with training facilities, workshops, showrooms, and other necessary facilities.
Meanwhile, the Uganda National Roads Authority released UGX 427 million in February this year to facilitate the relocation of close to 2000 carpenters from the Nsambya-Ggaba road reserve to pave way for the construction of the flyover.
This has since sparked off a bitter row among members of Nsambya Carpentry and Joinery Training Association (NSACAJA) with them (carpenters) failing to agree on how to utilize the money disbursed by UNRA for their relocation.
Saddam Moses Muleme, the former chairperson of the Nsambya Carpentry and Joinery Training Association (NSACAJA), says that problems started when people learned that UNRA had deposited money on their account and each wanted to take off their share.
“Many individuals have arm-twisted me to share the Shillings 427 million from UNRA among the over 1,500 carpenters yet it was facilitation for relocation, not compensation as these people wanted,” Muleme says
He also accuses one Major Emmanuel Kuteesa of fueling divisions among the carpenters and wonders where he gets his powers to undermine an established leadership, which the president even respected.
According to Muleme, the Statehouse Anti-corruption Unit exonerated him of all the allegations of financial impropriety and allowed him to continue with the resettlement program.
However, some of the carpenters cited their fears of relocating to Kigo.
Brian Mawanda, one of the carpenters says that daily transport expense is discouraging them to move to Kigo since most of them reside within Nsambya, adding that this explains why most of them have opted for other places around the city.
Fatimah Mutesasira says people have refused to go there in protest against Muleme’s administration, which he accuses of stealing their relocation grant from UNRA.
Meanwhile, Doreen Kagabi Keita, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner in charge of the Makindye division who has been overseeing the relocation process, says that everything is moving on very well, adding that the carpenters now have their own home as the president promised them.
