The discovery of oil in Uganda, especially that of commercially viable deposits, came with need to establish infrastructure for the exportation and refining of the oil. The infrastructures include the oil refinery, the feeder pipelines, purified oil pipelines to Buloba, the EACOP and the oil road. All these infrastructures require land.
In the quest for land for these oil infrastructures, government of Uganda together with their partners, the oil companies embarked on the search for land. The process of land acquisition came with displacement of people since these developments are done land.
The process of relocation and compensation has come with several challenges that include; delayed compensation, forced relocation, inadequate financial literacy for the PAPs before compensation and undervaluation of people’s property
These issues have manifested themselves in Kiboga and Kyankwanzi where the East African Crude pipeline and multipurpose pipeline pass.
“We were not sensitized when issue of compensation came up. People were just bumped into and we made decisions out of fear and ignorance”, narrated Mr. Leo Sebuwufu of Lwanda in Kibiga sub county Kiboga district where the multipurpose pine line passes.
“People’s land was surveyed and locals were stopped from using their land in 2017. People fear to cultivate on their land and yet their money isn’t being paid. It should be also remembered that the value of land then was different from what it is today but people aren’t paid and no one knows when they will have paid,” explained Mr. Asuman Ssembatya, the parish chairperson for Nabulembeko Parish in Watubba sub county in Kyankwanzi District.
The concerns were raised during an engagement meeting on August 8, 2024, organized by the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) under sustainability school Programme.The meeting, that took place in Kiboga town, comprised of selected district council representatives, local leaders and project affected persons to discuss the compensation issues.
Ms. Sarah Nankya, the chairperson for Kyankwanzi District land board expressed willingness to work with stakeholders to ensure justice for all affected persons. Ms. Nankya however expressed disappointment with how those concerned with compensation, Strategic Friends International, conduct their issues. She said these officials are not easily accessible and never reach out to officials at the district.
“We shall work with these affected people to ensure all are compensated. Our challenge in that the agencies charged with compensation issues never reach out to us,” explained Ms. Nankya.
The facilitator of the meeting, Dr. Adolf Mbaine from Makerere University implored the community members to always be asserts on matters regarding their rights.
“The only way your issues can be heard and be acted upon by those in authority is by you speaking out loudly”, he told the meeting.
Frank Muramuzi, the NAPE Executive Director implored community members to be assertive in matters regarding their rights, especially the right to our property and in this case land.
“Always be ready to speak out on matters of your rights. The community Green Radio is a platform to advocate for your rights. And for you in public offices, always listen to the cries of the people,” explained Mr. Muramuzi.
The NAPE Board chairperson, Prof. Ephraim Lemi Nuwagaba pledged NAPE’s continued support to provide a platform for communities to express themselves.
“The only way those in authority will understand your issues, is by you speaking out. Let your voices be heard. Our pledge to you in that we shall continue providing a platform for you to express yourselves,” said Prof. Nuwagaba.
While moving around Half London trading Centre in Nabidondolo West, Nabulembeko Parish in Watubba Sub county Kyankwanzi District we came across is seemingly elderly woman, her name is Tereza Bamuteze. She says is 76 years old.
Bamuteze is currently surviving with little hope of getting a meal because she no longer cultivates food. Her land was earmarked for the East African Crude pipeline, EACOP and thus ordered not to utilize the land any more.
“I was stopped from using the land. I no longer grow crops for food. I can’t even harvest the coffee trees there in”, she narrates to our reporter.
After being stopped from utilizing the land, she had hoped of finding food in the market since compensation money was meant to be paid early but that hasn’t been the case.
Bamuteze narrates of how painful it has been for her to frequently visit the bank in town to check her balance but all attempts have not yielded any results.
The fifth time she visited the bank to check whether her compensation was deposited, she found her bank account closed and had to deposit more money for it to be reopened and later she had to look for a leader for help.
“When I raised our area councilor (representative to the local government), he told me to wait till July when payments resume”, narrated Ms. Tereza Bamuteze.
Bamuteze says she doesn’t know the size of the land that was taken away from her but recalls that her land and property were values at 1,922,500 Uganda Shillings.
Asuman Sssembatya, the Nabulembeko parish chairperson says as leaders, they have done all within their powers but PAPs’ compensations remain a toll order.
“These people come and promise our people timely compensation but when they leave us, things change”, says Mr. Ssembatya.
In May 2022, the EACOP reported that at least 41 percent of the Project affected persons-PAPs under the East African Crude Oil pipeline-EACOP project have been fully compensated in Uganda. There are 3,648 project affected persons-PAPs under the EACOP project in Uganda.
The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.
According to the agreed plan, the pipeline route will begin from Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Rakai and cross the Tanzania border between Masaka and Bukoba, and traverse Tanzania through Kahama, Singida, Kondoa, into Tanga.
The governments of Uganda and Tanzania signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA)for the EACOP Project on 26 May 2017.
Community Green radio has been working closely with the PAPs to ensure their rights are fully respected during the implementation of all Oil and Gas related developments. The radio serves as a platform for the grassroots as their voice.
There was hope for a changed life after all modalities for compensation of the EACOP Project Affected Persons, PAPs were fulfilled by the family of Mr. Wilson Kigenyi and his wife Azuba Kigenyi of Kikajjo East B in Nabulembeko parish in Wattuba Sub county in Kyankwanzi District.
However, a dark cloud of uncertainty started hovering over the family after the death of Mr. Kigenyi last year. Mr. Kigenyi died of natural death and buried in the same land.
To Mrs. Kigenyi, the death of her husband was the beginning of her hopelessness.
“When he died, I lost touch of events and processes surrounding our compensation. The late registered our son as the next of kin and I don’t get updates regarding our compensation package”, Mrs. Kigenyi narrated to this website.
Mrs. Kigenyi’s frustrations are exacerbated by the fact that they were stopped from utilizing the land.
“We aren’t supposed to use this land for anything but I use the land for cultivation of food crops and I’m not certain when they will forcefully stop me”, she narrated seemingly terrified.
Asuman Sssembatya, the Nabulembeko parish chairperson says as leaders, they have done all within their powers but PAPs’ compensations remain a toll order.
“These people come and promise our people timely compensation but when they leave us, things change”, says Mr. Ssembatya.
In May 2022, the EACOP reported that at least 41 percent of the Project affected persons-PAPs under the East African Crude Oil pipeline-EACOP project have been fully compensated in Uganda. There are 3,648 project affected persons-PAPs under the EACOP project in Uganda.
The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.
It is envisaged to be the longest electrically heated pipeline in the world and will cross through 10 districts in Uganda, a distance of 296 kilometers and 25 districts in Tanzania, covering eight regions and 25 districts.
The government rolled out the program of acquiring land for the project in August 2018.
According to the agreed plan, the pipeline route will begin from Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Rakai and cross the Tanzania border between Masaka and Bukoba, and traverse Tanzania through Kahama, Singida, Kondoa, into Tanga.
The governments of Uganda and Tanzania signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA)for the EACOP Project on 26 May 2017.
Community Green radio has been working closely with the PAPs to ensure their rights are fully respected during the implementation of all Oil and Gas related developments. The radio serves as a platform for the grassroots as their voice.
NAPE has made an analysis of the socio-economic and ecological values of Bugoma Forest in Buhanguzi County, Kikuube District .
Click for the full report.
The ministry of Water and Environment, National Association of Professional Environmentalists(NAPE) and Walkers Association of Uganda are on a campaign to remind Ugandans to conserve the environment. The campaign entails an annual water and Environment week, code named “Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK)”. It is a weeklong event that is organized annually by the Ministry through the Water Resources Institute. Since its inception in 2018, the event seeks to contribute towards the attainment of Sustainable Socio-economic Transformation and achieving Ugandan National Development Plan and vision 2040. The week provides an interface between sector actors and other stakeholders for knowledge exchange, dialoguing, learning for improvement of Uganda’s water and environment resources.
“People have forgotten their role in conservation and this event (Water and Environment week) is meant to remind citizens that it’s their role to protect the environment”, said Mr. Babi Gerald from the Ministry of Water and Environment while on Community Green Radio on March 6th, a day before a community clean up exercise in Kiboga town Kiboga District.
This year’s week, that runs between 12th and 17th March will explore the linkage between climate resilience and economic growth in emerging challenges in management and development of water and environment resources, and the need for a systematic review of links, policy options and knowledge gaps. It will also explore the balance between pre-disaster and post-disaster investment needs to be examined more explicitly, Innovative financing to improving access to capital for medium and long-term investments in Water and Environment developments with the implementation of measures to support climate resilience infrastructure and a better understanding of which tools work well for vulnerable populations and recognizing that different tools might be needed to respond to different needs.
This year, through Walkers Association of Uganda, the campaign involves a 270km walk for water and environment for climate resilient development from the King Fisher Development Area, Kikuube District to the Ministry of Water and Environment in Luzira, Kampala via the North Western route from 27th February to 10th March, 2023 a distance of approximately 320 Km. The objective of the walk is to provide an understanding of the role of Water and Environment resources in contributing towards the climate resilient development and Socio-Economic Transformation of Uganda.
RATIONALE OF THE 270KM WALK
Due to the existing and emerging issues such as Oil and Gas Development and its adverse environmental impacts in the Albertine Graben, Pollution from industrial activities, Encroachment on the water, wetlands and forest (Bugoma CFR) including other biodiversity and the exertion of pressure on natural resources by the communities and Refugees in refugee hosting communities. It is viable that the communities, developers, CSOs, NGOs, Religious and Cultural Institutions, industrialists, government institutions, schools among others come together and dialogue on the issues and provide solutions and as well showcase the interventions towards mitigating the impacts of climate change, adapting to climate change and sustainable co-existence with the environment.
The radio talk show on Community Green Radio was attended by Ms. Florence Naiga, the climate change Officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Ms. Margret Nanyonga, Forestry Officer Kiboga District and Ms. Nakandi Zainabu, the Senior Environment Officer Kiboga District.
During the show, Ms. Naiga said Uganda is under obligation to fight climate change given the country’s position in international climate platforms.
“Uganda is a member of the COP (conference of parties) where member countries have nationally determined contributions. As Uganda, we are obliged to fight deforestation through afforestation to help in carbon capture”, Ms. Naiga explained.
The National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has released a baseline report on which interventions for its European Union supported project are hinged on. The two-year project (2022-2023) runs under the codename, “Deepening grassroots women rights, participation and economic livelihood opportunities in the era of expanding oil and gas extraction and the Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda”; The case of Hoima, Kikuube and Buliisa Districts https://www.greenradio.ug/downloads/?cp_306=2
On Wednesday 5th October 2022, nine (9) students from various Universities in Uganda were remanded to Luzira prison over allegations that they participated in a demonstration in support of the recent European Union Parliament resolution seeking to delay the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) citing human rights and environmental abuse concerns.
NAPE is greatly concerned about the harsh manner in which the students were arrested by the police and the charge of “common nuisance” that was levelled against them before being remanded to Luzira prison. NAPE is convinced that the detention of these students is in contravention of the Ugandan Constitution which provides for freedom to assemble and demonstrate together with others under Article 29 (1) (d). NAPE calls for unconditional and immediate release of the students. Click here for the full statement from NAPE.
Members of Oil watch Africa, on September 7 2022, paid a courtesy visit to Community Green radio at the radio’s head offices in Kiboga District, central Uganda.
The team that visited the radio comprised of Mr. Joram Iuseb, Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC), Namibia, Ms. Thuli Makama, Oil Change International (OCI), Swaziland, Ms. Makoma Lekalakala, Earth life Africa, South Africa, Ms. OduduAbasi Asuquo, Oilwatch Africa, Nigeria, Mrs. Salome Nduta, Coordinator Oilwatch Africa, Kenya and Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nigeria.
They appreciated the radio’s work in promoting and supporting communities from the oil and gas region in Uganda to protect their environment, land and human rights against oil, gas and other related projects abuses.
“we are delighted to see the work the radio is doing to conserve nature and we encourage you to continue with the job,” said Mr. Nnimmo Bassey who led the team.
They also visited other organizations working on environmental conservation and those fighting to protect mother nature.
Ugandan Minister of state for Information Communication Technology (ICT) and National Guidance Mrs. Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo has commended Community Green radio for its efforts in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic that attached the country early last year.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank this radio for helping government by passing on the message of hard work, encouraging masses to conserve the environment and most importantly mobilizing citizens to fight COVID-19”, the minister said.
The minister’s comments were aired last Friday when she visited the Radio in Kiboga District. The visit by the minister was part of her routine checks to assess how government departments are using the free airtime that media houses were instructed to offer.
During the visit of the radio, the minister was accompanied by the District Chief Administrative Offer, CAO Mr. Edward Musingye, the District vice chairperson Mr. Moses Ssenjogera and the Resident District Commissioner, Badru Ssebyala.
While at the radio, the minister held a radio talk to mobilize the masses to embrace government programs, especially the ongoing vaccination against COVID-19 in the country.
“I want to appeal to all the people listening to me now that let’s all embrace the ongoing vaccination. It is for the good of all us as a country,” said the minister while in the studio of 103.9 FM.
The minister called on the community members to embrace all available economic empowerment programmes introduced by the government.
“Let’s all welcome and engage in the available poverty eradication programs like the Parish Development Model and other programs that target youth and women,” explained Mrs. Ssebugwawo.
Uganda Communication regulator, Uganda Communications Commission, UCC in April 2014 directed media houses countrywide to offer free airtime for government to mobilize citizens for development.
The National Association of Professional Environmentalists, NAPE has launched a photo story comprising of stories of women who were resilient during the troubling time of COVID -19 in Uganda. The women, from various parts of the country were interviewed on how they survived and sustained their lives during the Covid-19 period and its associated restrictions.
The photo story album features women from Kalangala, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Kikuube, Hoima and Buliisa districts. It highlights activities the women, especially rural women, have been involved in to sustain their families.
According to Allan Kalangi, the Manager Sustainability School Programme at NAPE, the photo story was done to share experience and good practices of the rural women to motivate other women in other areas on how to survive during hard times.
“We embarked on this project to draw practical lessons from rural women so as to help other women understand that they have power to deal with such issues, especially promoting food security and improved livelihoods,” explained Kalangi.
During the launch in Kiboga in February, attended by majorly rural women, the NAPE Executive Director Mr. Frank Muramuzi explained that the photo story will act as a learning tool for community members world-wide on how to survive during hard times. Muramuzi explained that Women stand at the centre of survival of society.
“This photo story will act as evidence that communities, especially rural women, can sustain themselves during turbulent times. The stories of the women in the photo album clearly demonstrate how women are the engine of society but also can act as learning materials for communities,” Mr. Muramuzi explained.
The photo story was compiled by NAPE in partnership with Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
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