Govt okays stranded families to till oil land

By Francis Emorut                                                                                           

Government has finally allowed 93 households in Buseruka, Hoima district to till on the land they were evicted from for oil and gas exploration and production before they are relocated.

The victims have been stranded and suffering for three years waiting for relocation after they opted for land instead of money for compensation.

Racheal Mugabi, a chemist on petroleum in the department of petroleum and oil production, ministry of energy and mineral development informed guests that the affected families were free to use the land to grow food crops.

"Those (families) who are not resettled are encouraged to grow food crops and try to live life as normal as possible. Government will not use forceful eviction," Mugabi said.

Acting principal geologist in Petroleum Exploration Development and Production in the ministry of energy and mineral development Proscovia Nabbanja (left) talking to program administrator Susan Kateme (right) and chemist/refining Racheal Mugabi (centre) during the opening of the regional conference on gas and oil and mineral extractives at Fairwayway Hotel in Kampala. Photo by Francis Emorut

Mugabi told delegates attending regional conference on gas and oil and mineral resources last week that government has purchased 533.59 hectares of land in Kyakaboga to resettle the affected families.

She said government is conducting the exercise of demarcating the plots to build them model homes which starts early 2016.
 
The 93 who have been stranded on the oil fields land are those families out of 1, 221 who opted for land instead of being given money for compensation.

Mugabi was responding to remarks made by Dickens Kamugisha, the chief executive officer of Africa Institute for Energy Governance who said the victims of evictions who opted for land relocation were stranded. 

Mugabi was backed by the acting principal geologist in the energy ministry, Proscovia Nabbanja, who informed participants that government was in the process of resettling the affected people in Kingfisher covering 29 square kilometers.

The government officials were speaking during the opening of the regional conference on oil and gas and mineral resources at Fairway Hotel in Kampala last week.

The conference conveyed by Global Rights Alert held under the theme: "Gender and the Extractives Natural Resources and Development: Seen through Gender Lens," attracted delegates from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Democratic Republic Congo.

Delegates from Burundi missed due Presidential elections in their country.

Winfred Ngabiirwe, the executive director of Global Rights Alert told the delegates that oil and gas production is an opportunity for the communities affected to benefit as well as the entire nation.

"This is a window of hope for increased opportunity employment and increased revenue for the country," Ngabiirwe said.

Building an oil refinery would enable Uganda to export processed oil, bitumen, aviation fuel and other by-products to the East African region and beyond.

She called for women involvement in extractive industry which is male dominated and not to be left in the periphery.
 
Harriet Gimbo, the director of programmes at Action Aid Uganda called on government to make commitment to implement affirmative action laws.

"The laws are well written but when it comes to implementation there are no resources to implement them that is why government should be committed," Gimbo said. 

The vice chairperson of Parliamentary Forum on oil and gas Micheal Mawanda agreed with the women rights advocates saying government should do more on empowering women in training and availing them scholarship to study abroad to become knowledgeable on oil and gas matters.