By ADAM IHUCHA-- Thousand of people in northern Tanzania are
protesting construction of the much needed Arusha-Holili-Taveta highway over delays in
payment of compensation.
This throws the construction phase of a multi-million-dollar
four-lane dual carriageway due to commence in April 2014 into disarray.
Tanzania has raised only Tsh 1 billion
($649350.65), out of Tsh 28 billion ($18.19 million) required to compensate nearly
1,000 people whose houses, will be demolished.
Information obtained shows that nearly
160 houses will be affected along a 40-km by-pass through Arusha - Usa River
town.
The
by-pass starts from Ngaramtoni to Kisongo, Arusha airport all the way to Njiro and
Moshono suburbs on the southeast to connect with the Moshi road at Usa River.
“We are not going to move an inch
without being full compensated. We are prepared for a battle to defend our
rights,” a leader of protesters, Mr Arthur Sixtus said.
Mr Sixtus says that the state overdue
compensation has distracted their plans as they were stopped to either modify
or use their houses as collateral since January 2012.
Arusha
Regional Manager for Tanzania Roads Network Agency (TANROADS), Engineer
Deusdedit Kakoko, said that the state is looking for funds.
“To
raise Tsh28 billion ($18.19million) for compensation is not a joke. These
people should start to move as the government is looking for funds,” Engineer
Kakoko noted.
He
put it clear that with or without immediate compensation, the government will
take over the area for the road construction.
According
to him, the land occupiers should understand that the areas they hold are no
longer theirs.
“The
only rights for them is to demand for re-valuation of their properties, but
they must depart” Engineer Kakoko.
Human
rights lawyer, Ms Miriam Matinda says that section 49 (3) of the land Act of
1999, cap. 113 provides for the right to compensation over the revoked rights of
occupancy.
“All
land occupiers are entitled to prompt and adequate compensation. As a
government which upholds the rule of law and good governance should compensate
the affected people timely and promptly,” says Ms Matinda, who is also an
advocate of the High Court of Tanzania.
The Arusha-Moshi road project is
part of the 240km long regional project linking Arusha, the Community
headquarters, and Voi town in Kenya.
Upgrading of the 85km long
Voi-Holili section in Kenya is already underway, the official explained.
The entire project, whose pre-investment studies have
completed, will cost an estimated $560 million.
The AfDB has granted nearly
$300 million towards the crucial highway.
The EAC Secretariat say the
available funds can only finance the 42 kilometre by-pass in Arusha and
rehabilitation of a 35km Arusha-Usa River section of the 110km highway.
"We expect the civil
works for the by-pass to start in the coming months", EAC Principal
Engineer Hoseah Nyangweso explained, adding that rehabilitation of the Arusha-
Usa River road will start at Sakina area and would be expanded to a
four-lane up to Tengeru, some 20km away from the city.
Engineer Nyangweso could not explain
when funds will be available to cover the entire Tanzanian side of the regional
road.
However, sources said there was a
possibility to come from AfDB, the traditional financier of road projects in East
Africa.
The road is being massively
rehabilitated in order to create another major transport corridor in the
region, linking the Mombasa port with northern Tanzania and land-locked
countries.
Official launching of the massive
road-upgrading project would take place in April this year, according to the
EAC director of Infrastructure Phillip Wambugu who said once the civil
works commence, the section would be completed within three years.
"Once this road is completed, it
would enable transporters to connect the Mombasa port with the rest of Tanzania
and Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda without necessarily going through Nairobi",
he said in Nairobi recently, adding; " It is our policy now to go for
by-passes especially for trucks. There is no business for heavy trucks to pass
through our cities, except for creating unnecessary traffic jams".
hatimaye sasa kanda ya kaskazini tutakuwa na miundombinu nzuri ya barabara ila sasa watu wapate haki zao zote...
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