Residents of Kisopwa, King’azi and Mloganzila in Kwembe ward, Dar es Salaam Region have threatened to go back to their areas following a long delay in paying them their land compensation.
Should the residents indeed go back to their land their decision would compromise an ongoing construction of structures meant for Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).
According to them, they have been waiting for such compensation for almost ten years now without any hope of being paid their compensation.
Mloganzila Residents Compensation Committee Chairman Frederick Sichona, told The Guardian on Sunday this week that last April President Jakaya Kikwete promised them that they would be compensated for all properties, including land and disturbance allowance as well.
According to a letter dated March 6, 2015 from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development with reference no. LD/282547/128, the government said it was working on the compensation process though it didn’t mention the amount of money it would dish out and a specific date.
According to a letter dated March 6, 2015 from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development with reference no. LD/282547/128, the government said it was working on the compensation process though it didn’t mention the amount of money it would dish out and a specific date.
“Our worries are, if the central government has ordered the ministry to pay us our compensation why are they delaying to pay us? Last Tuesday we went to the Ministry to see land surveyor and we were told that our case has been sent to Kinondoni Municipal land surveyor but when we got there we were told that he was not in the office and we were told to go there on Thursday,” he added.
“How come construction of the university is proceeding when we have not been paid land compensation? The money paid to us was only for crops and trees……” he asserted.
“My committee has for a long time been trying hard to convince people not to go back to their areas but our patience is running out thin. If the government does not tell us exactly the date and the amount they will pay us, we shall convince them to go back to their areas,” he explained
About 2,538 residents who were living in the area have been waiting for land compensation for a long time whereby they are claiming for compensation for the land value they surrendered at levels agreed by the authority. The accord had it that residents would be compensated for all properties, including land value.
Out of the 2,538 household heads in the area, no one had been paid the promised money for land compensation, instead they were all paid a little amount – some as little as Sh120,000 - for developments made on the land.
Maimuna Msham who is one of the victims said that she had two hectors of land, whereby she had a building and planted different crops but she had been paid only Sh 2,000,000. “For sure the money paid to me was very little compared to the living costs, I’m now leading hard life, so I’m asking the government to pay us at least land compensation,” Msham said.
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Alphayo Kidata could not be reached for comment since his phone was off.
Furthermore, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, William Lukuvi was also reached for comment saying he had no information about the matter, adding that he was in a meeting in Sumbawanga.
In April last year President Kikwete affirmed to residents of Mloganzila area, Kwembe Ward in Kinondoni district that they would be compensated for their land when he was laying a foundation stone at a new campus and medical centre for Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).
The President requested them not to worry about compensation for land because the government was going to pay them such compensation.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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