Institutions include the Anglican, Catholic churches, schools, district and sub county local governments. They targeting to grow over 20 acres’ plantations each. However, Epai notes that all these shall be considered after the out growers with small acreage of one to five are catered for.
he plaintiffs; Godfrey Yiga, Aggrey Wakasi, Isiko Baguma, Nayi Yiga and George William Keleba are currently suspicious that the defendant may be playing delaying tactics to find ways of convincing court to dismiss their and has started preparing gardens for the nucleus estate.
Hellen Adoa, the Fisheries State Minister, says that MAAIF has authorized its technical team to carry out a pilot study with fishermen in the three districts to prove their claims related to the co-existence of synodontis fish and other fish species.
The NOPP Agronomist Charles Ssembatya says the project has not managed to transport enough machinery to clear both nucleus and out grower’s fields but even without mechanical ploughing, planting can still be done in a proper way.
Agnes Nakamyuka, a resident in the area says that she was told to stop cultivating on her two acres of land. She adds that she was surprised when she saw graders ploughing her land she is compensated.
Despite claims by national oil palm project that the compensation was completed, some residents are still hesitant to vacate claiming that their land and properties were poorly evaluated and want their land resurveyed.
The 16 farmers started cage fish farming at the height of operations by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit, five years ago. However, the farmers say the costs of commercial fish feeds are almost chasing them out of business.
Engineer Ismail Kyazze, the Ferry Service Operations manager in UNRA, who is also in charge of inspecting the construction of the new ferry, says they have completed assembled the ferry and read to start work as planned.
The trust is mandated to generate and pass polices, mobilise farmers to participate in oil palm growing, popularise the project through awareness campaign as well as identifying and registering more out growers.
“We have talked to the project managers to consider things that matters first. They have always told the people of Buvuma that the project is here to change their live. We think this must be reflected in all areas of life. The population at the site is too big to work without sanitary places this exposes their lives to diseases.” Mabiriizi explains.
Alex Mabiriizi, the Buvuma District LC V Chairperson, says farmers risk making losses once the seedlings are not delivered on time because of bad roads.
Currently, there is a single ferry plying the route from Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe District to Kirongo landing site in Buvuma district. However, Wilson Sserunjogi, the Buvuma District Oil Palm Project Oil Person, says the ferry is in bad shape very bad shape and may not deliver the seedlings on time as anticipated.
John Magunda, a fisherman in Buwooya sub county notes that the crocodiles hide under stones during the evening hours and often attack them forcing them to abandon their boats. He says the crocodiles do not only scare them from accessing the lake, but they also destroy their fishing nets.
Dr. Baker Kanyike, the Buvuma District Health Officer-DHO confirms that immersion foot is common among people in the district, saying they recorded about 40 people turning up for treatment for a similar condition.
Wilson Sserunjogi, the VODP Focal Person in Buvuma District notes that they have started setting up a nursery bed and expect to be ready by March next year. He says they intend to start with about 36, 000 seedlings from Benin to benefit the out growers.
The fishermen and other boat operators pay 250,000 shillings license fee to the Ministry of Works every year. However in the revised rates, boats are required to pay Shillings 50, 000 and passenger boats between 20, 000 to 60,000 according to its size every month and 240, 000 shillings to the district per year.
Teddy Nakato, a dealer in sweet plantain says she was forced to offload the bananas from two trucks and transport it using small boats. Nakato expresses distress for hiring trucks, which are now stranded at the island. This means she will have to pay the truck owner for extra days they will have to spend at the island without working. She pays about Shillings 250, 000 for three days.
Buvuma District Natural Resources Officer Gladys Nalunkuuma says that all encroachers will be expected to relocate within a month after the demarcation. She adds that a number of encroachers had settled on the land in anticipation of compensation to pave way for the oil palm project in the district championed by Vegetable Oil Development Project-VODP.
The Assistant Chief Administrative Officer-ACAO Ismael Kabonge told Uganda Radio Network that since the creation of Buvuma district in July 1 2010 it has been failing to collect the estimated local revenue and making recoveries of unrealized amounts due to gaps in the legal framework.
