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Gulu City

Gulu leaders have stopped the construction of a fuel station on the only remaining water catchment area in the city saying its establishment is illegal.

The station known as Oil Energy is being constructed on Pece stream at Green Valley Cell in Bardege-Layibi Division, which Gulu leaders say is in a gazetted wetland.

In August 2021, the Gulu City Council issued a three -week ultimatum to the developer, Lawrence Okello, to remove all his construction materials from the site over lack of an approved physical plan.

However, the developer resumed work on the piece of land last week, attracting a backlash from the public, as well as leaders prompting the halting of the work on Saturday.

Some of the residents of Gulu City who were protesting on Sunday afternoon demanding the structure to be dismantled. (Photo by Rosemary Anena)

By the time the city leaders, environmental activists as well as some members of the public stormed the site, they found it a beehive of activities.

Two fuel reservoirs were already sunk in a large pit, while water from the second pit was being emptied into a fuel tank body.

A shade was already erected as well as other structures required of a fuel station. The whole site was heavily guarded by a private Security (not from Gulu City).

City mayor Alfred Okwonga said the construction is illegal since it contravenes the Environmental Act and threatens the environment.

Okwonga called upon the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to explain the circumstances under which they cleared the investor to use part of the wetland.

“We don’t know why NEMA gave the certificate which says the land is 100 Meters away from the wetland. So we are holding NEMA responsible and we want the Executive Director of NEMA to come and answer why they have issued the certificate allowing a petrol station to be established in the wetland,” he said.

In the letter seen by Radio Rupiny, dated March 22, 2024, Gulu city clerk Innocent Ahimbisibwe wrote to the executive director of the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) maintaining the city's position of not approving the project on Plot 31 Gulu Avenue and calling upon NEMA to withdraw their certificate which they had given to Lawrence Okello.

The Site Engineer manning the project only identified as Kilama however, maintained that what they were doing was legal and criticised the city leaders for ‘politicising’ the matter.

Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, Member of Parliament for Bardege-Layibi Division, who looked into the document of Lawrence Okello from the Site Engineer, told Radio Rupiny: “The company called palm oil applied for lease which it was given to them in 2005 for five years and they acquired the land title in 2007. The same company transferred the interest to Hash oil who later transferred it to Lawrence Okello who wants to build the petrol station. So, we want to know how the land moved from Hash oil to Lawrence Okello”.

Mapenduzi added that in the same document, in 2020, the former city clerk Edward Kiwanuka wrote a letter giving permission for extension of land by 10 metres the extension means going deeper into the wetland and the developer is confessing to have gone beyond the boundary.

According to Mapenduzi, the site engineer identified as Kilama, showed him the document which indicate that in 2005, the district land board gave one plot on plot 31 to Palm Oil, Palm oil then transferred the land ownership to Hash Oil in 2007 then Hash in 2012 transferred the land ownership to Lawrence Okello the managing Director of Oil Energy whom the City Leaders have ordered him to stop any further development.

In April 2022, the then Gulu City Clerk Isaiah Tumwesigye wrote a letter to the executive director informing him that they carried out a verification exercise on the land which indicated the plot had encroached on section of Pece wetland that was demarcated in 2014 by the Ministry of Water and Environment.

In September 2021, the then deputy city clerk wrote to Oil Energy manger over their decision to stop the construction of the fuel station. The decision based on grounds including the lack of a structural design drawing done by a competent and registered engineer and the plot size in the title does not correspond with the Plot size on the ground.

When Contacted, NEMA spokesperson William Lubuulwa told Radio Rupiny that they have been getting several complaints from Gulu City Authority about the developer in the wetland and so, the regional team headed by Edward Odipio are having a meeting with Resident City Commissioner to get to the bottom of the issue.

Lubuulwa added that NEMA officially stopped issuing certificates in wetlands on September 2, 2021.