To make room for the renovation of the international heritage site, more than 150 vendors engaged in crafts at the River Nile’s source were forced to leave on Wednesday morning.
The Source of River Nile development master plan will be implemented using funding provided by the Ministry of Tourism, according to Jinja City Clerk Edward Lwanga.
According to Lwanga, the Ministry of Tourism has given them instructions to clear the ground by November 13, 2023, in order to make the necessary preparations for the construction of a contemporary pier that will cost Shillings 19 billion.
EXCEL Construction Limited was given the contract to build this pier, which signifies the start of the renovation of the Source of River Nile.
Due to residents on the site, the project was originally scheduled to start on October 1, 2023, however, it was postponed.
The rehabilitation plan calls for the building of state-of-the-art recreational amenities and a contemporary harbour.
The purpose of these modifications is to improve tourists’ entire travel experience and help them make the most of their trip.
The recreational amenities are intended to entice visitors to spend more time and money at the location, which will ultimately result in higher government revenue.
Additionally, the goal of this redevelopment project is to draw attention to the location globally, especially from travelers who are curious about the advancements at the Nile Source.
Lwanga stressed that the vendors are presently located in the exact spot meant for the contemporary harbour, which must be finished by the end of this year. Therefore, in order to start the project, it is essential to evict the vendors as soon as possible.
He continued by saying that several meetings had been held to notify merchants of the upcoming evictions. The impacted vendors are subtenants, though, and their landlords withheld this information from them in an effort to demand more money.
A grace period of one month has been granted to the vendors so they can arrange their departure from the site without having to forfeit any property.
The sellers will have the chance to make money at the upcoming Nyege Nyege event near the Source of River Nile, which is scheduled for early next month, according to Jinja City Mayor Peter Kasolo.
Vendors will be permitted to return to the site following the one-year construction period, which is scheduled to end in November 2024.
The vendors claim that despite these agreements, Jinja City officials have not given them sufficient eviction warnings, which has made it impossible for them to move out amicably.
Patricia Mirembe, for example, claimed that she was not given enough time to relocate her belongings throughout the eviction procedure, resulting in damage to her artwork, which was worth at Shs3 million.
After more than 30 years of peddling crafts at the Source of the River Nile, Kenneth Balidawa expressed his dissatisfaction with Jinja City authorities’ lack of other spaces for their companies.
Salim Gizamba, the head of the crafts sellers at the Source of the River Nile, pleaded with the government to relocate these traders peacefully rather than through force.
In addition, he brought up how their plans for a smooth transition were hindered by the absence of eviction notices.