Nansana widow, 84, cries foul after home demolished for road expansion without compensation

Ms Regina Nampiima, a resident of Wamala Mukataba village in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District whose rental buildings were razed down during the enforcement of the new trade order and road expansion project has cried foul in the demolition exercise.

While Nansana authorities claim that the residents were sensitized about the road expansion and signed consent forms, Ms Nampiima insists the consent forms did not include the demolition of her property executed without any warning.

Like many of her neighbors, the elderly widow chose not to stand in the way of progress. Government officials had explained there was no money for compensation, so residents agreed to surrender portions of their land in good faith, she told the Monitor.

“The Municipal council officials came and took measurements. We signed papers and they gave us verbal commitments that our property was safe,” she said following the launch of the construction of the Nansana-Wamala-Katooke and Maganjo-Jinja Kaloli link roads this year.

The project is part of the greater Kampala infrastructure program funded through World Bank and contracted to a Chinese firm, China Railway 18th Bureau Group Company Limited at Shs33.9 billion.

The residents, including Ms Nampiima reportedly cooperated with officials to give in part of their respective land for road expansion. They allowed surveyors and heavy equipment onto their properties on the account of the earlier assurance that their respective properties were safe.

On April 16, 2026; everything changed without warning. Graders suddenly veered off the agreed route and tore into Nampiima’s home, razing part of it to the ground.

“I was in the bedroom sleeping, and my grandchildren came running saying that the road workers were demolishing our house,” she said.

Occupants of the rentals were ordered to vacate as the graders approached the buildings, a section of the residents said.

The rentals were the only source of income for Ms Nampiima.

“The incident shocked me and my diabetes levels and hypertension rose up. I don’t have anything to eat. I slept on an empty stomach and yet I have grandchildren to take care of,” she said.

VIDEO: “All my rooms that would give me some little money for survival have been demolished. Someone just gave me some food today. I no longer have what to eat,” says Regina Nampiima, 84.

Ms Nampiima is among several residents affected by demolitions in Nansana Municipality.… pic.twitter.com/ZcJzloiBvF

— Daily Monitor (@DailyMonitor) April 18, 2026

Ms Edith Katende Musaasizi, one of the residents along the road under construction also had a family-owned four- roomed commercial building razed to the ground.

Ms Katende said the demolition happened when she had gone to attend the burial of her sister.

“While at the funeral in Nakulabye [Rubaga Division in Kampala], I received the information that they had demolished our (family) building. Nobody had given us a warning, no court order, no nothing,” she noted.

The said house had four units, two of which were occupied by a general merchandise retail shop and electronics shop. The other two units were unoccupied and were under renovation at the moment.

Ms Sylvia Nalukwago, a retail shopkeeper, narrated that the incident happened at around 3pm when 3-men dressed in Nansana Municipal Council identifiable jackets told them to vacate the building and remove their merchandise and valuables.

Ms Nalukwago added that they rushed and put out some of the household items and that within a few minutes, the bulldozers started demolishing the building. She adds that in the rush, she lost Shs2.3 million of her mobile money business.

A member of the grievances committee who asked to remain anonymous told Daily Monitor that after signing the consent forms, the road construction team marked where the roads would pass.

“The affected persons were promised that their houses would not be demolished. And that’s why they agreed to sign the forms. And from the look the road had been demarcated now we are yet to understand why the structures were demolished,”

“They should have called them in a meeting and informed them about the development which didn’t happen. But it’s not the contractor who demolished the structures. It’s the municipal officials,” they said.

Mr Simon Kiguli, the Nansana Municipal Council Physical planner, said the houses were demolished because they were constructed in a road reserve.

According to him, the road under construction measures 15 meters wide and in principle, they would require development to be at least six meters from the road to ensure safety.

“The reserve depends on the reserve needed. But one of the people in question had a residential house and we can’t have such a house without enough reserve. It doesn’t fit in our physical planning requirements,” he said.

Mr Kiguli has reportedly interacted with the relatives of the 84-year-old and asked them to put their concern in writing to see if there is any arrangement for compensation under the GKMA-Urban Development Program.