By Sania Babirye
The acting permanent Secretary in the ministry of energy Robert Kasande says the fresh compensation claims by the already compensated affected people of the two power dams of Karuma and Isimba, is likely to delay future and current government projects if they are put into effect.
Kasande made the concern while appearing before the ongoing Land probe commission chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemeire to explain claims that government is being demanded over 600bn shillings for both projects by people who had been compensated for their lost land but have made fresh compensation claims for the rocks that have been discovered recently on the same land.
However, Kasande says the fresh claims are illegal and unreasonable because these people seeking double compensations yet they were earlier compensated.
He also says that future projects like the Standard gauge railway construction might also be delayed due to these dubious and exorbitant claims.
He has now asked the commission to not allow the claims because it will also set a bad President in the compensation process.
His cry comes after Eng.Badru Kigundu who is the Isimba power Dam project steering committee told the same commission this week that construction of the power project is being stalled due to fresh exorbitant claims by those already compensated in 2014 in which they have turned around and sought fresh claims amounting to over 600bn in surfaced rock.
Kigundu further revealed that the high court in Kampala has since issued an interim order freezing the bank accounts of China Waters and Electricity company that was contracted for the Isimba Dam construction after 9 people from Kayunga dragged government and the contractors to court seeking over 200bn shillings saying government forcefully took over their land without compensating them first.