The committee's report revealed that 465.52 hectares of land were acquired for the Karuma hydropower project, displacing 3,735 people, including 280 landowners and 134 tenants. The project has affected both Karuma Town Council and Awoo Village.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Ministry of
Energy and Mineral Development to prepare a supplementary budget for the
compensation of individuals affected by the Karuma Dam project. This decision
follows a report from the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources, which reviewed a petition regarding delayed and inadequate
compensation for the project's displaced persons.
On September 5, 2023, the Environment Governance Institute
petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, highlighting concerns about insufficient
compensation and lack of physical resettlement for 119 households. These issues
have led to food insecurity and other challenges for the affected individuals.
The petitioners contended that the compensation was inadequate and unfair,
which exposed survivors to food insecurity due to a lack of land for
agriculture, contrary to Article 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of
Uganda. Speaker Anita Among has tasked the Committee with
investigating the nature of the conflicts and reporting back to Parliament by
September 12, 2024.
The petition, addressed according to Parliament's
procedural rules, was discussed in a regional sitting in Gulu. The committee's report revealed that 465.52 hectares of land
were acquired for the Karuma hydropower project, displacing 3,735 people,
including 280 landowners and 134 tenants.
The project has affected both Karuma
Town Council and Awoo Village. Notably, 119 households opted for physical
relocation but have not been resettled. The Ministry of Energy had approved a
budget of 28 billion shillings for development and compensation, but challenges
remain, including a discrepancy in disturbance allowances.
Committee Chairperson Ariko Herbert Edmund reported, “We
have a report on ghost landlords as claimants and many issues which require
urgent attention of this Parliament so that these people get compensated.”
//Cue in: “Mr. Speaker Sir…
Cue out…” trust in government,”//
He also noted, “Land measuring 200 hectares in Nwoya district
at Lapono village meant for relocating 119 households has not been developed.”
The report also highlighted issues such as ghost landlords and incomplete land
title transfers, with the Ministry of Energy having failed to fully pay for
necessary approvals, contributing to delays.
Phiona Nyamutoro, the State Minister for Energy and Mineral
Development, assured Parliament, “The process of transferring the land titles
to the government of Uganda is on,” and she committed to addressing grievances
and ensuring project completion.
Nyamutoro added that her ministry is engaging
NEMA and Nwoya district local government to expedite approvals and project
implementation. She also stated, “We shall implement all the community projects
including the orphanage scholarship fund and the matter isn’t only urgent but
sensitive.”
//Cue in: “The remaining 119 claims …
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Despite these assurances, Members of Parliament are
demanding detailed project timelines and accountability. The
Buyaga West Constituency Member of Parliament Barnabas Tinkasimire has also
urged the Ministry of Energy to speed up the process of compensation of the
affected persons.
Deputy Speaker Tayebwa instructed the
ministry to present a supplementary budget within one month and to investigate
and address issues related to ghost landlords.
Tayebwa argued, “The matter is urgent and the minister
should go back to the cabinet and make a supplementary budget and present it to
Parliament in one month, it should be this financial year.” He also directed,
“Even if now, we support the budget.”
//Cue in…” even if now…
Cue in…” we support the budget,”//
Activists and affected individuals have expressed hope that
the parliamentary directive will bring resolution but remain concerned about
potential corruption and accountability issues.
Walter Ocira, a 55-year-old person with a physical
disability, recounted his struggles: “If I had chosen cash, it wouldn’t buy the
land equivalent to my land and the value for land keeps increasing here but now
I have lost my land and didn’t get compensated.”
He further noted, “They promised us good things, they
promised us a good house, and see my life now with my three children, sometimes
I beg to survive, other day I sleep hungry with my children.”
He also
highlighted issues with ghost landlords: “Some people became landowners even
when they didn’t own a plot of land in this area but because they were able to
pay for registration between 300,000 to 500,000 shillings.”
The ongoing Karuma Dam project, a $1.7 billion initiative
funded by the Export-Import Bank of China and managed by Sinohydro, aims to
enhance Uganda's energy supply but has faced significant compensation and
resettlement challenges.
Simon Wokorach
Freelancer