The Entebbe Express Highway whose construction started in 2012 stretches from Busega through Abaita-Ababiri and Kajjansi to Entebbe International Airport. According to the Ugandan National Roads Authority, the road will help decongest the ever-busy Entebbe road. However, for users, this will come at a price. “There are three toll prices, so before you access this road you have to pay before you can use it.” Said, Janet Birungi – Project Engineer, UNRA. In spite the fact that it was still incomplete, motorists were already using it and a number had been arrested. “We have tried to block it but some people come and forcefully open it and use it. So that shows how much the people are in dire need of using this project.” Said, Janet Birungi – Project Engineer, UNRA.

UNRA said there were dubious people who were using this opportunity to extort money from the users. “So the people who are collecting money they are doing it illegally, they are not UNRA staff, they are not the staff of the Contractor, they are not the staff of the Consultant, they are not the staff of the Project’s Management Consultant. So they do it illegally and where the money is going we don’t know.” Said the UNRA Project Engineer.

Land disputes were some of the hinges greatly affecting the progress of this project. “So we have issues of family disputes and I think we have recorded about eight cases that are pending on our list to date. So we have families that are disputing and you can’t tell the right person to pay so we are still mediating with them to see how we can expedite their process.” Said, William Matovu – Head of Land Acquisition, UNRA. So, 3,936 people were fully compensated with the rest set to be settled before May next year. “We have paid so far close to 281 billion Uganda shillings. So you can see we have a little percentage left to compensate the people so we are making progress in terms of compensation.” Said, William Matovu – Head of Land Acquisition, UNRA.