Cabinet of Uganda has approved the application by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited for a license for the construction of the 296 km long East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline in Uganda.
The State Minister of Information Communication Technology – ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Baluku Kabyanga, and officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development communicated the development at a press conference at the Uganda Media Centre on Thursday.
Kabyanga said that Cabinet approved the application on Monday, indicating that the new corridor linking the two countries will bring benefits including the development of new infrastructure, logistics, and technology transfer as well as improving the livelihoods of communities along the route.
Eng. Herbert Magezi Mugizi, the Principle Engineer in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development – MEMD, said the approval of the applicable license now grants the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited legal access to start actual construction.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline project will displace at least 118, 348 persons (56,460 in Uganda and 61,889 in Tanzania). However, challenges relating to land acquisition due to contestations of valuations by the project-affected persons – PAPs still remain eminent.
Eng. Magezi disclosed that close to 68 percent of the PAPs have already been compensated while the pending compensations are expected to be concluded by the end of 2023.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development says the engineering detail currently stands at 33 percent and major procurements have been awarded by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited for the purchase of line pipes, high voltage, and marine cables, among others.
The approved pipeline construction project, that will consume about 2,740 acres of land, was awarded to a private company, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited. The overall 1,443 km pipeline runs from Hoima district in western Uganda to the Port neighboring Tanzania.
The crude oil project which is worth 13.248 trillion Shillings (USD 3.6 million) traverses 171 villages across 10 districts of Kabaale, Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Ggomba, Ssembabuule, Lwengo, Rakai and Kyotera.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline Company Limited has a shareholding of 62 percent from Total Energies while 15 percent will come from the host Government of Uganda through the National Oil Company.
Equally, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania owns 15 percent shares through the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation – TPDC, and 8 percent shares for China National Offshore Oil Company – CNOOC Uganda Ltd.
Notably, on September 15, 2022, the European Parliament passed a controversial “emergency resolution” by a large majority denouncing the consequences of Uganda’s oil projects citing specifically Tilenga and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
The resolution called for the immediate suspension of drilling activities in the protected and sensitive ecosystem (Murchison Falls National Park) and the postponement of the EACOP project for at least one year to allow a feasibility study of an alternative path to preserve the environment.
However, two months later on November 2, 2022, the “emergency resolution” was overturned during the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean, Pacific – European Union (ACP-EU) sitting in Maputo, Mozambique. The Assembly voted to let Uganda proceed with developing the Pipeline Project.
CREDIT: URN
Kiboga West member of Parliament, Abdul Mutumba Ssettuba has appreciated and recognized the contribution made by Community Green Radio towards the recently held health Camp in Kiboga Town. The MP, together with other stakeholders organized a health camp on 17 and 18 December 2022 in Kiboga town and the radio played a central role in mobilizing masses for the camp. Various ailments were diagnosed and treated.
In recognition of the radio’s role, the MP has today delivered a certificate of appreciation to the radio. The certificate was handed over to the Station Manager, Julius Kyamanywa by Kiboga Town Council Chairperson Henry Kagali.
While handing over the certificate, Mr. Kagali, who chaired the organized committee of the camp, thanked the radio for serving the communities.
“Honorable Mutumba and I are very pleased with the contribution you made and it’s the reason the camp was a success. Your resolve to serve communities is highly commendable”, Kagali said while at the radio premises in Kiboga.
The station Manager, Kyamanywa Julius appreciated the MP and the organizing committee for recognizing the work of the radio. He pledged continued support to similar causes that are aimed at empowering communities, especially the vulnerable women, children and the poor.
Oil Refinery Residents Association (ORRA) and National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) conducted capacity building trainings under the Women have wings/peer learning project. The project was an award recognising the excellent work of women; including young women and peacebuilders working on humanitarian issues to support peer learning among their organizations. The award was funded by the Women Peace Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through an innovative partnership with and the generous support of Women Have Wings. The awardees were Miss Joan Akiiza (NAPE) & Miss Nyamahunge Milieus (ORRA) as Women leader activists for their contribution to gender equality, peace and/or crisis response with a focus on youth.
The project created a peer learning relationship that aimed at exchanging experience and knowledge as well as supporting and collaborating with the other CSO to help each other grow with new skills and experience to benefit institutional capacity. Through the peer learnings conducted NAPE & ORRA gained skills that include effective communications skills, networking skills, resources mobilization skills, social media content creation skills, Improved knowledge on mobilization of Persons with disabilities (PWDS), persons living with HIV and youth was acquired such as using religious leaders, radio announcements, public announcements, use of posters ,use of persuasive language in mobilizing the youth and targeting holiday times for some activities, Improved interaction with persons living with HIV and the use of Village Health teams as a mobilization strategy for this group of people was also acquired. The lessons learnt were applicable in the context of the CSOs work as community movements or organizations defending people’s rights amidst the oil & gas developments taking place within the Albertine region. The trainings brought along representatives of vulnerable persons such as PWDS, Persons living with HIV, youth, and women which was of an added advantage because participants were learning from persons who were speaking from experience.
There was improved community advocacy especially on how to organize an effective and goal oriented exchange learning visit, and how to carry out visibility social media campaigns, how to engage with the audience on social media among others. Conclusively individual capacity of the awardees and organizational capacity was built through the trainings conducted under the project.
STORY BY JOAN AKIIZA – PEER AWARDEE
Kyankwanzi district leaders are set to petition President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in the land wrangles that have left about 1,000 residents in Gayaza sub-county forcefully evicted from their ancestral land.
The affected residents from Kyerere North, Kyerere East, Kiyuni central, Kiryajobyo west, and Kibanda villages. They are feuding with Linda Nyakairima, the widow of the late Internal Affairs Minister Gen.Aronda Nyakairima who is alleged to have fraudulently acquired a title for the land measuring about 5 square miles.
On 19th February this year, over 10 graders and excavators started clearing the area destroying crops and over 30 soldiers have been deployed to guard the contested piece of land as the destruction of people’s crops is ongoing.
This was done despite the orders that were issued by the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba in October last year that stopped any further transactions on the land until investigations on the rightful owner are complete.
On February 20 this year, a team of Kyankwanzi district Officials held a meeting with the affected residents and expressed disappointment over impunity and lawlessness being used by armed personnel that are overseeing the destruction.
Dr. John Mpuuga, the district chairperson said the involvement of land’s minister has not yielded results and now they have no option but to petition the president.
“Ever since Minister Nabakooba came here, I have been closely following up the matter. I have given her office whatever document needed over the residents’ ownership. Even early this week, I was at her office but I am surprised that out of blue, the destruction took place. I will not sit. I am now going to meet the president himself to intervene,” Mpuuga said while addressing the residents
Joel Ssebikali, the Member of Parliament for Ntwetwe County wonders why the orders that were put by Minister for Land, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba to stop any further transactions on the land until investigations are done were not followed by the security that spearheaded the eviction.
“It seems there are big people in this. This issue now beyond the district leaders and we need president’s intervention since the minister’s orders are irrelevant.
The Resident District Commissioner, Juuko Kasiita assured the residents that he will follow up the matter.
Leosam Sebalunzi, the LCIII Chairperson questions how the family of late Aronda Nyakairima acquired the land without the consent of the leaders. He says when they tasked the family to produce a title for the land, they were threatened by soldiers.
Linda Nyakairima could not be reached for comment.
More than 1,000 families in Gayaza sub-county Kyankwanzi District are facing forceful eviction from their ancestral land.
The affected families are from the villages of Kyerere North, Kyerere East, Kiyuni central, Kiryajobyo west, and Kibanda.
The residents are feuding with Linda Nyakairima, the widow of the late Internal Affairs Minister Gen.Aronda Nyakairima who is alleged to have fraudulently acquired a title for the land measuring about 5 square miles.
The residents say for long they have been threatened with forceful evictions from their ancestral land by Mrs. Nyakairima.
According to the residents, they have settled on the land since the 1940s and wonder how the family of late Aronda is claiming the land.
Trouble started on Saturday 19th February this year when over 10 graders and excavators started clearing the area; destroying garden crops including several acres of Banana plantations, beans, maize, mangoes, Cassava, coffee, Jack fruits, and rice planted by the residents.
More than 30 soldiers have been deployed to guard the contested piece of land as the destruction of people’s crops is ongoing. Access to the contested piece of land has also been restricted.
This compelled the aggrieved residents to protest by blocking all the roads leading to the land using tree branches, logs, and stones among others paralyzing business for several hours.
Racheal Kawala, the Wamala Region Police Spokesperson says that they rushed to the area after they received information that the aggrieved residents had blocked the Nkoko-Kiboga road.
According to Kawala, the land conflict between the family of the late Aronda and the locals has been on for a long time. She adds that the police are not in possession of any eviction order in the area.
“This land conflict has been on for so long and currently we don’t have any court order with us allowing any eviction to take place. We are also seeing what is taking place without our consent. We only rushed there to quell down the protest where the aggrieved residents had blocked the road not allowing anyone to go through; said Kawala.
Godfrey Walakira 60, one of the affected residents in Kyerere North village who was born and raised up on the land wants government of Uganda to intervene and investigate how Linda Nyakairima acquired the land title.
Retired Captain George Ssenyonyi who was born in 1951 says the situation is currently tense as people are left without food. He wants the Office of the Prime Minister to immediately intervene and halt the eviction.
Hannington Nsibirwa 50, a resident of Kiyuni central says several acres of his Banana plantation have been destroyed by the Graders. He wants the government to investigate circumstances under which soldiers have connived with late Aronda’s wife to forcefully grab their land.
Leosam Sebalunzi, the LCIII Chairperson questions how the family of late Aronda Nyakairima acquired the land without the consent of the leaders. He says when they tasked the family to produce a title for the land, they were threatened by soldiers.
In 2018, Linda Nyakairima, appeared and recorded a statement with the Commission of Inquiry into Land matters.
This was after, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the Chairperson of the Commission summoned her for questioning in relation to a piece of land that was bought by her late husband.
The commission then received complaints from several families in Kiboga district who were ordered to vacate a 640-acre private mailo land that Aronda, wanted to acquire for private investment.
The land was initially registered as a private Mailo property in the names of late Matayo Kidimbo Mpanga on March 9, 1931.
But the late Gen. Aronda reportedly paid Gideon Kibirango, who claimed to be the rightful owner of the land before Mpanga’s grandson Ibrahim Lumu contested the transaction.
Linda Nyakairima could not be reached for comment.
The boundary opening exercise for Bugoma forest in Kikuube district western Uganda has resumed.
This after the exercise was halted by the district security committee led by the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner, RDC Amlan Tumusiime after stakeholders complained that the boundary reopening team was not following the guidelines issued earlier.
The exercise kicked off on 17th February with the sensitisation of different stakeholders.
Led by Wilson Ogaro, the commissioner of surveys and mapping in Uganda’s Ministry of Lands, the team has embarked on receiving copies of documents from people who claim land ownership in the forest reserve.
The claimants submit their documents to the office the Chief Administrative Officer- Kikuube and Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom lands offices.
Ogaro asked stakeholders to send representatives to join the team of surveyors before the exercise kicks off.
Amlan Tumusime, the Kikuube RDC who chaired called on the stakeholders to support the exercise to ensure that the forest boundaries are opened.
John Apolo Rwamparo, the first Deputy Prime Minister Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom says the Kingdom will verify all documents from people who claim that the kingdom gave them land.
Press Statement
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has joined the rest of the World to mark the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (24th-30th October) with a call on the Ugandan Government to impose a total ban on the use of lead paint.
This week of action is an initiative of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (the Lead Paint Alliance), which is jointly led by the UN Environment Programme and WHO.
With this year’s theme, “Working together for a world without lead,” NAPE has partnered with local leaders to create awareness using Uganda Community Green Radio about the harmful effects of Lead poison and its exposure pathways including paints, batteries, lead contaminated toys and lead contaminated dust.
Peruth Atukwatse, the Project Manager for Chemicals management and climate change at NAPE says though World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified Lead in particular lead paint as one the chemicals of major public health concern, the government of Uganda has given little attention to its regulation and raising awareness about its effects to the public.
She explains that there is need to draft a regulation to ban the manufacturing and production of lead paint that exceeds lead concentration of 90 parts per million (ppm), increase on awareness campaigns and assess the quantity of lead put in paints by manufacturers.
Medih Kyakonye, the Kasanda District Environmental Officer and a student of PHD in Environmental Chemistry explains that Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects brain, liver, kidney and bones. He says lead can affect a child’s brain development and nervous system and also causes anaemia, hypertension and toxicity of the reproductive organs.
He, however, notes that people are innocently exposed to lead poisoning because they are not sensitized enough to know the effects.
“The paint manufacturers add Lead in their paint to make it easy for the paint to dry quickly. These days almost every house is painted and that means every person in a painted house is exposed to Lead. Lead paint is worse in a newly painted house that is not dry as well as an old house with paint dust. But people are not aware of these dangers,” Kyakonye explains.
According to Kyakonye, the government has not done enough to protect the citizens. He said there should be clear laws to regulate toxic chemicals from flowing into the market for the safety of Ugandans. He says the local governments are not facilitated enough to raise awareness on lead poison yet the public needs to be protected.
“Like for us in Kassanda, our sensitization is focused much on mercury use since it its largely used in the gold mines but there is need to increase the district budget so that the public especially town dwellers who live in painted houses are sensitized on dangers of other harmful chemicals like Lead,” adds Kyakonye.
The Kiboga district Senior Environment Officer, Zaina Nakandi said the district is underfunded to carry out awareness campaigns on lead poison for public health. She also notes that lead poison is an issue that has not been given much attention because of the long term that effects take to manifest. She noted that people especially children who are most vulnerable since their bodies are still developing, need to be protected and this can only be done when parents are sensitized about the effects of Lead and its pathways.
“We need to sensitize the public because lead poisoning is a major public health concern but as the district, our hands are tied. That’s why we appreciate the efforts of NAPE for giving us the platform to sensitize people,” said Nakandi.
In 2017, NAPE with support from IPEN carried out a study on lead in solvent based paints for home use in Uganda aimed at assessing the levels of lead in paint produced in Uganda. It was found out that 20 out of 30 analysed solvent-based paints for home use (67% of paints) were lead paints. This means they contain lead concentrations above 90 parts per million.
Frank Muramuzi, the NAPE Executive Director, called upon the government of Uganda to join efforts with the rest of the world to eliminate lead paint by enforcing lead paint regulations and increasing public awareness campaigns about the health effects of lead exposure.
RELEASED BY NAPE’S CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
As COVID-19 pandemic ravages Ugandans, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has intensified the move to train Albertine reporters on health reporting and promoting public access to fact-based information during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The training was aimed at equipping journalists with essential skills to effectively serve as frontline workers during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
During the training, that was held at the radio premises in June, Julius Kyamanywa, Community Green radio station manager stated that the training is timely for the media sector to expose disinformation and misinformation related to the pandemic in Uganda.
“This training is timely and gives an opportunity to journalists to learn and avoid misinformation. It helps us learn to identify right sources of credible information”, he explained.
Professor Adolf Mbaine, a lecturer from Communications Department at Makerere University said journalists need to report on health based on facts and figures to avoid misleading the public.
“When you are equipped with facts and figures, you are good to go since you will be reporting from an authoritative point of view”, the Professor explained.
The training targeted journalists under the Albertine Journalists’ Platform (AJOP). AJOP was formed in March this year to build the capacity of rural journalists on reporting issues that affect communities.
AJOP, which is hosted by Community Green Radio, has over thirty radio journalists from radio in Hoima, Kibaale, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Buliisa and Kiboga.
Allan Kalangi, the Manager of the NAPE Sustainability Programme under NAPE says such trainings act as refresher courses for practicing journalists and enhances their capacity to serve communities better.
Kiboga District Woman Member of Parliament, Christine Kaaya Nakimwero on Saturday 5th. June handed over 200 tree seedlings to Community Green Radio as part of commemorations to mark the World Environment Day 2021. The handover of the trees took place at the offices of the radio in Kiboga.
While handing over the seedlings, the MP said she’s giving out tree seedlings as part of her commitment to environmental restoration and conservation.
“I chose to offer seedlings to organizations and community members as my personal contribution towards environmental conservation,” the MP explained.
The MP also said the choice of giving the seedling to the radio was based on the fact the radio is at the center of the community in the district and that the radio put environmental issues at the forefront in their programming.
“This radio has put environmental conservation as a priority in it programming. They are passionate about environmental issues and thus ideal partners in environmental conservation”, added Mrs.Nakimwero.
While receiving the seedlings on behalf of the radio, Julius Kyamanywa, the Station Manager appreciated the MP for the offer. He explained that as a radio, they will continue putting environmental issues on top of their agenda.
“We thank you honorable for considering us. As a radio and our mother organization the National Association of Professional Environmentalists, NAPE shall continue offering a platform for discussion on environmental issues”, Kyamanywa explained.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on 5 June and is the United Nations‘ principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. First held in 1974, it has been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issue such as marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. World Environment Day is a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, the program has provided a theme and forum for businesses, non-government organizations, communities, governments and celebrities to advocate environmental causes.
The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration. Pakistan will act as global host of the day. World Environment Day 2021 will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Ecosystem restoration can take many forms: Growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts. This is the generation that can make peace with nature.
Micro plastics have been detected in Fish and water according to Noble Banadda a professor from Makerere University.
Professor Banadda says the study about Micro plastics is new and that the technology was not available until recently. Banadda says they detected the micro plastics during a study being conducted by Makerere University and the University of Cambridge.
In an interview with green radio Banadda said plastics take long to decompose but give off tiny materials measuring five millimeters.
He said these go into water and also contaminate fish and food.
Banadda says plastic pollution results in flooding and damage to coastal and marine ecosystems and is creating an unhealthy environment for local populations.
“Success will entail residents engaging in the separation of plastics from their regular waste as well as community members adopting better practices”, he said.
Banadda said many consumers are not aware how much plastic there may be in the personal care items they use daily on their faces and bodies.
The professor says from the plastic in packaging to the under-5mm micro plastics hidden within the products, including beads or glitters; they are designed to wash down the drain, travel through rivers and ultimately end up in the sea.
Banadda says Micro plastics are too small to be filtered out by waste treatment plants and attract waterborne toxins and bacteria that stick to their surfaces.
In addition to endangering marine life, the health implications of micro plastics on humans are not yet fully known, but considering their prevalence in clothes, food, water and cosmetics, are expected to be far reaching.
Tiny pieces of degraded plastic, synthetic fibers and plastic beads, collectively called micro plastics, have turned up in every corner of the planet.
Both micro plastics and these chemicals may accumulate up the food chain, potentially impacting whole ecosystems, including the health of soils in which we grow our food. Micro plastics in the water we drink and the air we breathe can also hit humans directly.
Micro plastics could be a last straw for species subject to pressures as chemical pollutants, overfishing and climate change.
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