Lugave Clan Demands Ugx 650m to Move Sacred Tree Blocking Ntenjeru–Bule Road Works

Construction of the long-awaited Ntenjeru–Bule Road has stalled barely a month after its launch, following a cultural dispute over a sacred tree in Mpata Village, Mukono District. 

On October 2nd, 2025, the Minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, flagged off the works for the 18-month project, part of the 18.5-kilometre Ntenjeru–Bule stretch under the World Bank–funded Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program.

The current 7.8-kilometre section is being constructed by China Railway Number 5 Engineering Group Company Limited at a cost of Shs 35.7 billion. Work had been progressing until residents objected that the road would cut through a recognised cultural heritage site.

At the centre of the impasse is Namuzikiza, a sacred tree of the Lugave (Pangolin) clan, regarded as an ancestral site. Clan leaders say the tree cannot be removed or disturbed without elaborate rituals that require substantial funding. They are demanding Shs 650 million to facilitate the relocation of the tree and other cultural sites.

Masiko Mulo, caretaker of the Lugave clan heritage site, said the road will also affect three sacred wells—Nakagga, Namagulu, and Mpakanya—each believed to host ancestral goddesses. He said specific ceremonies must be performed at each well before construction machinery can pass.

However, district leaders have informed the petitioners that World Bank guidelines do not provide compensation to individuals, complicating the matter further. The claims by traditional healers have been strongly contested by religious leaders who visited the area.

They dismissed the demands as wasteful and called for “divine intervention,” urging residents to abandon what they described as outdated practices. During a tour of the project by district leaders, government officials, and supervising engineers from Professional Engineering Consultants, Gesh Consultants, and MDF, Ms. Martha Lynn Rwaboona, representing the contractor, confirmed that the cultural dispute had forced the team to bypass some sections. She said the company respects cultural heritage and must handle such concerns “with utmost sensitivity.”

Mukono District NRM chairman Hajji Harunah Ssemakula expressed disappointment that a spirit shrine was obstructing public infrastructure. He promised to visit the site and initiate dialogue with the custodians. Hajji Sekayivu Ibrahim, representing traders on the Mukono District Development Forum, criticised residents for “holding onto outdated beliefs” and warned that such attitudes could slow development. He urged intensified community sensitization.

Local leader Male Byekwaso called for cooperation among all parties and suggested that the sacred tree could be relocated in a culturally respectful way without halting progress. Mukono District Chief Administrative Officer Henry Ddamba assured residents that the contractor remains on schedule despite the dispute. 

He pledged that no group would be sidelined during negotiations and said efforts would be made to preserve the Namuzikiza tree. He encouraged residents to embrace the project, noting that the new road will greatly improve market access and support business and agricultural growth.

As authorities, clan leaders, and contractors continue their discussions, construction on the disputed section remains suspended. The resolution reached is expected to set a precedent for managing cultural heritage sites during major infrastructure projects in the region.