BULIISA 

Local communities in Bunyoro region have been urged to strategise and tap into the upcoming oil and gas opportunities as the country moves towards the oil production phase.

The Bunyoro parliamentary caucus who are currently in the region to monitor the progress of different oil projects in Tilenga in Buliisa district and Kingfisher in Kikuube district observed that the oil sector has changed the face of Bunyoro in terms of infrastructure development, but the locals have not fully prepared to benefit from the opportunities coming with the development.

Hoima District Woman Member of Parliament Harriet Businge said the construction of oil roads, Kabaale International Airport, Tilenga project, Kingfisher and the oil refinery are presenting a lot of opportunities which should benefit the local communities in the promotion of local content.

MPs sharing with the Total Engine official during the visit about Tilenga project.

"Yes our people have been employed in the sector, but 80% of them are casual workers, we need to educate our children to be able to take up skilled labour," she said.

Businge added that the people of Bunyoro should stop lamenting and come out to have a solution to the challenges to see that at the end of the day, they put something in their pocket, and that if they continue to lament, opportunities will be taken up by other people.

Jacob Karubanga, the chairperson of the Bunyoro Parliamentary Caucus, said they were impressed with the progress of the oil projects in the region.

The oil drilling ringi at Ngiri 3 well pad.

The industrial area were Total Engine is constructing a CPF.

He added that the speed at which the projects are progressing requires the people of Bunyoro to change their attitude and way of doing things to be able to benefit. According to Karubanga, there is a need for the people of Bunyoro to embrace hard work and position themselves for the opportunity.

He noted that the oil project is attracting an influx of people who will need accommodation, medication, transport and food and this requires the local communities to strategise and be able to provide such services.

Francis Kazini (Buhaguzi) and Joab Businge (Masindi Municipality) said that communities in the region have not been prepared to benefit from the oil and opportunities.

They expressed concern that the oil companies are exporting food from Kampala yet it would be supplied by the local person in the region and called for the continued mobilisation of the community to prepare for the sector by engaging in food production.

The lawmakers' visit was organised by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) with the aim of helping them to understand different oil activities taking place in the region.

Didas Muhumu, a senior stakeholder management officer at PAU, said the visit was aimed at updating and equipping MPs with information so that they can go out to sensitise the local community about the sector and also legislate with the right information.

He added that lawmakers have been complaining that they are unable to sensitise the citizens because they lack information about the sector.

Jonah Byakutanga Wamani, the public relation officer of TotalEnergies, told the lawmakers that they are preparing to start spading in preparation to start the drilling of the oil in the Tilenga project.

He added that two oil rigs have so far been brought on the site and they are currently being assembled before they launch the spading.

Wamani said the first rig is at 90% complete and the second rig is at 85% complete. He added the well pads are also about to be completed.

He noted the project is progressing, adding that there is hope of hitting the target of producing the first drop of oil from the ground by July 2025.

According to Wamani, they have also embarked on the construction of a central processing facility adding that they are currently carrying out the earthworks.