Apollo Rwamparo, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in Bunyoro Kitara kingdom, says it is rude and unacceptable for government to give away Murchison falls for the construction of a power station yet it is a bio-cultural site.
Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom is up in arms against
the proposed construction of a hydro power dam at Murchison falls.
Early this year, the Electricity
Regulatory Authority (ERA) published a notice in newspapers indicating that it
had received an application from Bonang Power and Energy (Pty) Limited for the
construction of a power dam in Murchison Falls.
“ERA has under section 29 of the Electricity
Act 1999 received a notice of intended application of a license from Bonang
Power and Energy(Pty) Limited for the generation and sale of electricity from a
hydropower plant proposed to be established near Murchison Falls in Kiryandongo
and Nwoya districts,” read the notice published in the government owned New
Vision.
The notice drew uproar from the public with
conservationists, saying the project would deal a devastating blow to tourism. Now, Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom has thrown its
weight behind those opposed to the project.
The Kingdom Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga, says they strongly condemn the move,
adding that the kingdom will not at any point allow government to establish a
power dam on Murchison falls.
Byakutaga says Murchison falls is a strong heritage site for
Bunyoro Kitrara kingdom, adding that any development aimed at its destruction
will not be tolerated. He says Murchison falls remains a strong Tourism
attraction site in the Kingdom.
According to Byakutaga, the Kingdom has already
written to the Electricity Regulation Authority-ERA warning the agency not to
take many any attempts to establish a power dam on Murchison falls.
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Apollo Rwamparo, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Tourism and Antiquities in Bunyoro Kitara kingdom, says it is rude and
unacceptable for government to give away Murchison falls for the construction
of a power station yet it is a bio-cultural site.
He wants government through the Energy ministry to cancel any
engagements with Bonang or any other company regarding the feasibility study.
Rwamparo says activities that are harmful to biodiversity such as dams in
protected areas should be stopped and condemned in the strongest terms.
He says tourism is one of the most sustainable industries,
which feed the country’s economy, even with very little government effort,
interest and investment.
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The Tourism sector alone earned the country Shillings 1.6
billion in the 2018/2019 financial year and Murchison falls remain one of the
most iconic tourist attractions in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is managed
by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority. It is in north-western Uganda, spreading
inland from the shores of Lake Albert, around the Victoria Nile, up to the
Karuma Falls.
The park straddles the districts of Buliisa,
Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi.
