As oil pipelines are on the way, communities in the Albertine region are worried

By Peruth Atukwatse

In 2015, Uganda signed a contract with the RT Global Resources of Russia to construct an oil refinery in Hoima district.

This resulted in the Government stepping up efforts to embark on the construction of oil pipelines to connect oil wells dotted all over the Albertine Grabben.

Shortly after, the Government of Uganda signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Tanzania to construct an oil pipeline from the western Uganda town of Hoima to the Tanga sea port in Tanzania (Sothern route).

These developments, which have been welcomed by those who believe that oil is a golden wand to end poverty in Uganda and the East African region at large have in equal measure left some community members, especially in the Albertine region, worried. The worry stems from the fact that the pipelines require land and will go through people's farms and gardens.

There are also environmental concerns as some people fear that the pipelines may develop leakages and cause spills in future. Besides, the Ugandan belt where oil deposits are located is a highly fragile biodiversity spot regarded as a convergence zone for the species.

The IUCN Red Data book lists it as a host for 39% of Africa's mammals' species, 51% of African bird species, 19% of its amphibian species, 14% of Africa's plants and reptile species and 79 threatened terrestrial vertebrates.

Rev. Fred Musimenta, the co-ordinator of Butimba Sustainability Conservation Association (BUSUCA) operating in the oil region said recently that the pipelines are most likely to pass in Butimba, Kigaga and Kaiso-Toonya, among other places and that people in these communities are worried about being displaced.

"There is a lot of anxiety among the people here. There is fear of being displaced or having some of our land taken away by the pipelines and we do not get adequately compensated," he said.

Musimenta said that what is worrying people is the experience of the oil refinery affected communities in Kabale parish, Buseruka sub-county, who had to go through some serious struggle to get compensated. He said some people up to now are yet to be compensated.

Lucy Mbuubi also from Butimba said that if the pipelines pass through their gardens, it would constrain their efforts to provide food for their families. "As women, we are the bread winners in our families. We are obliged to put food on the table, so if pipelines pass in our gardens, crops will be destroyed meaning we will not be in position to provide food for our homes thus undermining the wellbeing of our families," she said.

In Buliisa district, Alice Kazimura, the coordinator of Kakindo Orphans Care said the people there are also worried about the pipelines for the same reasons like those of the Hoima residents.

"Not only are we fearful that we might lose land and other properties due to the pipelines project, we also fear that they will also adversely affect the environment in the biodiversity rich Kabwoya and Bugungu wild life reserves which are located at the base of the rift valley. This will also likely accelerate animal-human conflicts since the animals will be threatened from their habitants," Kazimura said.

The community-based activists -Members of the Oil Watch Network - co-ordinated by National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) talked to above and others under their different pressure groups like Publish What You pay -Bunyoro Chapter have said that their focus now is on mobilising the oil host communities to get fully aware of their rights and entitlements and to unite and have one voice in defending them.

The writer is the project officer of National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) -Sustainability School Program

Email: atukwatseperuth@gmail.com