UGANDA, Mukono | Real Muloodi News | Over 10,000 residents in the Mpungwe Sub-county, Mukono District, are embroiled in disputes over the planned construction of Akon City, a futuristic urban development proposed by Senegalese-American artist Akon.
The project, intended to be powered by a cryptocurrency called “Akoin,” has caused significant tension among the local population, many of whom fear eviction.
The project was first announced on January 7, 2022, when Uganda’s Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, her deputy Ms Persis Namuganza, and officials from the Uganda Lands Commission (ULC) visited the area to survey land intended for Akon City.
According to the ULC, the government owns one square mile of land in Mpungwe, Mukono, of which 300 acres are allocated for the Akon City project.
The remaining land is earmarked for the proposed Kojja Peninsula Tourism City, with the potential to become a new capital city.
Residents across eight villages—Muvo, Kiziru, Lulagwe, Kyazi, Mbazzi, Lubebi, Sango, and Kamwanyi—have expressed concerns about the development.
Many have lived on the land for decades and possess titles for their properties. Despite this, the government plans to cancel these land titles to pave the way for the project.
ULC officials maintain that the government’s actions are legal land ownership, but residents and local leaders feel excluded from the decision-making process.
The situation escalated in July 2023 when ULC surveyors arrived to demarcate the land, prompting residents to block their activities.
Ms Fridah Namyalo Muwanga, the sub-county chairperson, accused ULC and the Ministry of Lands of handling the matter without proper consultation.
Ms Namyalo recounted her experience of being caught off guard when officials first visited the area in 2022. She explained that she was asked to address the residents but declined, as she was unaware of the officials’ intentions.
Despite receiving a letter in June 2023 notifying her of the upcoming survey, she and other local leaders were not consulted about the project. As a result, they mobilised residents to prevent the surveyors from proceeding.
Residents have voiced their frustrations, questioning why the government is prioritising a foreign artist’s project over the well-being of its citizens.
Some, like Mr Matovu Kamya, the LCI chairperson of Kaziru, have criticised the ULC and Ministry of Lands for failing to engage with local authorities.
“They should stop acting like they are too special not to have meetings or discussions with residents on such issues,” he said.
The project has also raised concerns among residents like Mr George Nsamba, a fisherman at Kaziru Landing Site, who fears that the development will further marginalise impoverished communities.
He noted that the government has already restricted their access to Lake Victoria and warned that forcing them off their land could lead to dire consequences.
In addition to fears of eviction, the proposed Akon City threatens cultural sites in the area, including the seat of the Nvubu (Buffalo) clan in Mbazzi village.
The site’s caretaker, Mr Abdul Matake, questioned how they would relocate the graves of their ancestors if forced to leave.
“There is nowhere we can transfer the dead, they are so many, and therefore not ready to be evicted,” he said.
The controversy surrounding Akon City is part of a broader trend of governments around the world, including in Uganda, developing new cities to address various challenges such as population pressure and service delivery.
The proposed city is one of several infrastructure projects planned for the Mpungwe sub-county, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line from Malaba to Kampala and the Kampala-Jinja expressway.
Akon first proposed the idea of Akon City to President Yoweri Museveni during a visit to Uganda in 2021. In a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Akon cited Uganda’s potential as a key factor in his decision.
“When I look at the potential of all the places in Africa from a touristic standpoint, I believe Uganda has one of the biggest potentials,” he said.
The Akon City in Uganda is similar to a project he proposed in Senegal, his home country, in 2017. However, the Senegalese project, estimated to cost $6 billion and expected to be completed by 2026, has yet to take off.
ULC and Ministry of Lands officials have stated that they are merely implementing a presidential directive for the project.
According to Prof. Jack Nyeko Pen-Mogi, the former ULC chairperson, the government should consider planning a well-organized city beyond just Akon City.
“We have discussed this with the National Planning Authority and the senior leadership in the Ministry of Lands to gazette this land,” he said.
Prof. Pen-Mogi also acknowledged that there are residents living on the land who would need to be compensated if they are displaced.
He emphasized that the government’s focus should be on planning the entire land for a new city, rather than just Akon City.
Documents indicate that following President Museveni’s initial engagement with Akon in 2021, the ministries of Finance, Lands, and Agriculture, along with the State House Comptroller, were tasked with securing the land through ULC. The land, which overlooks Lake Victoria, was first surveyed and secured in 2022.
The land was once occupied by Bob Astles, a British advisor to former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Mukono District chairperson Peter Bakaluba Mukasa accused ULC of sidelining local authorities and directly working with the Resident District Commissioner on the land allocation.
He expressed concerns about the transparency of the process and the potential impact on the more than 10,000 residents occupying the land.
Rev. Mukasa emphasised that the land belongs to the Mukono District Land Board and that local authorities should have been consulted before any decisions were made.
He criticised the lack of transparency in the process and the potential displacement of residents, many of whom are bona fide landowners.
The situation in Mpungwe has drawn comparisons to other controversial land deals in Uganda, including the giveaway of 82.05 acres of prime land in the former Nakawa-Naguru estates for the development of a satellite city.
That project, initially approved by the Ugandan Cabinet in 2005, stalled after the investors, the Comer Group, pulled out due to local political issues and economic challenges.
As the situation in Mpungwe unfolds, residents and local leaders continue to demand transparency and proper consultation from the government
The future of Akon City remains uncertain as tensions between the government and the local population persist.
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