Museveni orders land to be given to sugar companies
Aug 16, 2011
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed that more land be given to sugar manufacturing companies. This is intended as a long-term solution to sugar scarcity currently gripping the country.
By Henry Mukasa
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed that more land be given to sugar manufacturing companies. This is intended as a long-term solution to sugar scarcity currently gripping the country.
The President ordered that the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) should acquire part of the contested Mabira forest land, while Kinyara Sugar Factory in Masindi gets part of the Isimba Government Prison land to expand operations.
He also charged line Cabinet ministers and government officials with sorting out the resistance of the Amuru district residents to Madhvani Group of Companies’ proposed new sugar factory.
He said the Government and the Amuru community should conclude within three months the issue of a new factory.
Madhvani has been lobbying for land in Amuru for a new sugar factory, but opposition MPs in the region have rejected the idea branding it as “land-grabbing.â€
Museveni said such politicians, led by former Chua MP Okello Okello (UPC), are enemies of development. “Lugazi sugar plantation should expand as they had wanted by getting the land of the degraded forest (Mabira Forest Reserve),†Museveni stated.
He was addressing an agriculture conference attended by district leaders at State House Entebbe on Saturday.
State minister for environment Betty Bigombe yesterday clarified that Museveni said the Mehta Group sugar plantation would get “the degraded forest land.â€
Bigombe said the decision was taken in regard of the wider development interest of the nation with environmental concerns of this action well taken care of after technical people confirmed that the part to be given out for sugar plantation would not destroy the ecosystem of the forest.
A plan to give away part of the forest reserve to Mehta Group to grow sugarcane in 2007 was opposed by environmentalists and civil society as a risky venture that would endanger the country’s environment.
A would be peaceful demonstration against the plan, led by MP Beatrice Anywar degenerated into a riot and one Indian was killed while several other people were injured and property destroyed.
However, Museveni downplayed any re-occurrence of riots, saying he was pre-occupied by other issues than to deal with “Anywar’s riotsâ€. “We should resume and conclude this once and for all,†Museveni asserted.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has directed that more land be given to sugar manufacturing companies. This is intended as a long-term solution to sugar scarcity currently gripping the country.
The President ordered that the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) should acquire part of the contested Mabira forest land, while Kinyara Sugar Factory in Masindi gets part of the Isimba Government Prison land to expand operations.
He also charged line Cabinet ministers and government officials with sorting out the resistance of the Amuru district residents to Madhvani Group of Companies’ proposed new sugar factory.
He said the Government and the Amuru community should conclude within three months the issue of a new factory.
Madhvani has been lobbying for land in Amuru for a new sugar factory, but opposition MPs in the region have rejected the idea branding it as “land-grabbing.â€
Museveni said such politicians, led by former Chua MP Okello Okello (UPC), are enemies of development. “Lugazi sugar plantation should expand as they had wanted by getting the land of the degraded forest (Mabira Forest Reserve),†Museveni stated.
He was addressing an agriculture conference attended by district leaders at State House Entebbe on Saturday.
State minister for environment Betty Bigombe yesterday clarified that Museveni said the Mehta Group sugar plantation would get “the degraded forest land.â€
Bigombe said the decision was taken in regard of the wider development interest of the nation with environmental concerns of this action well taken care of after technical people confirmed that the part to be given out for sugar plantation would not destroy the ecosystem of the forest.
A plan to give away part of the forest reserve to Mehta Group to grow sugarcane in 2007 was opposed by environmentalists and civil society as a risky venture that would endanger the country’s environment.
A would be peaceful demonstration against the plan, led by MP Beatrice Anywar degenerated into a riot and one Indian was killed while several other people were injured and property destroyed.
However, Museveni downplayed any re-occurrence of riots, saying he was pre-occupied by other issues than to deal with “Anywar’s riotsâ€. “We should resume and conclude this once and for all,†Museveni asserted.