Residents of Rwahi trading Centre in Kabale have given Reynolds Construction Company a seven days ultimatum to compensate them for the loss of their property due to flooding because of the blocked drainage channel or drag the company to court. Reynolds Construction Company was contracted by government to construct Mbarara –Kabale –Katuna road. However, residents accuse the company of blocking the drainage channel leading to flooding of their homes on May 28th.
Property worth unspecified amount of money was destroyed by the floods drawing angry reactions from residents. As a result, the traders have given Reynolds Construction Company one week to compensate them or drag it to court. Sabbitti Rubegyemera, a resident whose house was destroyed by the floods says that the company representative just visited him and asked him to write to them informing them about the damaged but nothing has been done.
Rubegyemera says that he needs shillings 109 million to construct another house and buy household property. He says that they have given the company up to Sunday to respond to their grievances or drag it to court. Felix Muhwezi, a trader at Rwaki trading center claims that he lost maize, millet and sorghum flour to the floods. He says that they forwarded their complaints to Reynolds Construction Company but they have received no response.
He says that unless they are compensated he will mobilize other residents to block the company from doing work in the trading center. Sheilah Tukahirwa, a businesswoman at Rwahi trading centre appeals to Reynolds Construction Company to listen to their grievances and address them immediately saying the flooding was a result of their negligence. Alex Twahirwa who also lost his property to the floods told URN that the road Construction Company should move in and save them from suffering or else they block the road.
He revealed that he has already instructed his lawyer to take action against the company upon the expiry of the period of the seven day ultimatum on June 17th. Reynolds Construction Company has declined to comment on the threats by residents to drag it to court.
