Vincent Kedi, the Commissioner in Charge Licensing and Administration Ministry Energy and Mineral Development says about 90 per cent of the aerial survey has been completed in Karamoja, parts of Teso and Bugisu and now they are carrying out the neighbouring airborne survey in Acholi' Lawmo district.
While the discovery of oil and gas in the Albertine has raised fear of a likely resource curse , some residents in Hoima and Buliisa districts say they are witnessing some transformation even before oil comes out of the ground.
The index by Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI) rated Uganda's Mining Sector as slightly better governed than oil though still in "weak" category.
It finds that like the hydrocarbons sector , licensing and local impacts are a problem.
The then Energy Minister, Engineer Irene Muloni announced the second licensing round in May 2019 hoping that process would be completed in September the same year.
Many of the Project Affected Persons-PAPs in the districts of Lwengo, Kyotera, Rakai and Gomba have repeatedly demanded a second evaluation exercise before the actual construction works begin. They argue that their properties have gained value since 2018 when the first assessments were conducted.
At least six international banks have backtracked on their financing plans for a USD 3.5 billion project, which will include developments of oil fields in the Albertine region and the construction of a crude oil export pipeline from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania.
