By Guardian Reporter , The Guardian
BIG news for Kipunguni residents in Dar es Salaam who opposed Julius Nyerere International Airport's expansion, as the government is set to kickstart compensation
payments. Verified claims without restrictions will pave the way for a fair resolution.The Minister of Finance, Mwigulu Nchemba, elucidated this matter in Parliament while addressing a query from the Deputy Speaker, Mussa Zungu. The inquiry pertained to the timeline for compensating the Kipunguni residents, alleged to be hindering the expansion process.
The Deputy Speaker raised this question following Deputy Minister of Transport, David Kihenzile's responses to parliamentarians’ inquiries regarding compensating residents who had forfeited their land for airport construction across the nation.
Dr. Nchemba mentioned that the government had provided guidance to the individuals as it was found that some had received alternative land that was included in the claims, while others required additional compensation.
He shared that the government has dispatched a team of experts to reassess and categorize the claims to distinguish the valid ones amidst demands from some citizens seeking additional compensation.
Dr. Nchemba emphasized, "Presently, we are actively sourcing funds within the current fiscal year to initiate disbursements."
In his address, Dr. Nchemba highlighted that the recent evaluation of land and properties for 1,184 residents indicates that the government will disburse over 144bn/-, a significant increase from the prior assessment in 2009, which had determined that residents were entitled to 15bn/-.
Media report indicates that in February 2010 residents were evicted to make way for the construction of a third terminal at JNIA, and that although some were compensated, hundreds of the evicted families had protested against the proposed compensation package, arguing that it undervalued their homes by 50 percent and was based on an obsolete Land Acquisition Act dating back to 1967.
The JNIA expansion project began in 1997 with a government declaration of the area to be acquired. Residents in the area allocated for the project were ordered to stop making any improvements on the land.
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