Construction of the East African Crude Oil Export Pipeline project is due to start next year, but people along the planned route were evicted almost two years ago, with promises of compensation.
Persons affected by the planned East African crude oil pipeline
are calling for court action against the governments of Uganda and Tanzania as
well as the oil companies over delayed compensation for the land they were
evicted from.
Construction of the East African Crude Oil Export Pipeline project is due to
start next year, but people along the planned route were evicted almost two
years ago, with promises of compensation.
In Uganda, the project is planned to cover 296km, affecting people in
10 districts, includingHoima,
Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi and Mubende. Others are Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo,
Kyotera and Rakai.
In Tanzania, the government is not expected to find similar
problems as in Uganda, because the government there owns all land, while in
Uganda, the land is owned by private individuals.
The project is a joint venture between Uganda and Tanzania on one
hand and international oil companies led by French oil company TOTAL.
Two years since the people were ordered off their land, they have
not received the promised compensation, yet they were told not to carry out any
further activities on the land earmarked for the project.
Two weeks ago, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda said they hope to
start paying the affected persons early next year.
The State Minister for Energy Simon D’ujanga says while the government is
committed to compensating them, the process has delayed due to difficulties in
verifying ownership, especially where there is no proper documentation. He
was on Monday speaking at the launch of this year's events marking the Energy
and Minerals Wealth Week.
//”Cue in Once we conclude….
Cue out:…. Continue work in.”//
Executive Director- Community Transformation Foundation Network wonders
why such a big project has no compensation timeline.
He claims that as a leader of the affected people in Lwengo, he
has been severally intimidated by security people over his lobbying activities,
adding that the security wants him to stop him talking to the people over the
matter.
//”Cue in which project does not ……
Cue out: “…talking, talking.”//
Apart from the delayed compensation, the people have been barred from
carrying out any economic or social activity on the land which is now idle, yet
they are not sure when they will get money to resettle and restart their life,
according to some. They cannot grow crops on the land or bury.
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development says it is ready to
play its part provided the Ministry of Energy and the involved companies
complete the evaluation and verification exercises.
The Director for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Moses Kaggwa,
wondered why the people along the pipeline project route have been ordered off
their land before they are compensated, adding that this is not how government
works.
He was speaking at a dialogue organized by the regional trade rights advocacy
group, SEATINI, on the themes: Life Before Profits and Make Investments Work.
//” Cue in: I’m very sure now ….
Cue out:…. and he refused.”//
Persons affected by the planned East African crude oil pipeline
are calling for court action against the governments of Uganda and Tanzania as
well as the oil companies over delayed compensation for the land they were
evicted from.
Construction of the East African Crude Oil Export Pipeline project is due to
start next year, but people along the planned route were evicted almost two
years ago, with promises of compensation.
In Uganda, the project is planned to cover 296km, affecting people in
10 districts, includingHoima,
Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi and Mubende. Others are Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo,
Kyotera and Rakai.
In Tanzania, the government is not expected to find similar
problems as in Uganda, because the government there owns all land, while in
Uganda, the land is owned by private individuals.
The project is a joint venture between Uganda and Tanzania on one
hand and international oil companies led by French oil company TOTAL.
Two years since the people were ordered off their land, they have
not received the promised compensation, yet they were told not to carry out any
further activities on the land earmarked for the project.
Two weeks ago, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda said they hope to
start paying the affected persons early next year.
The State Minister for Energy Simon D’ujanga says while the government is
committed to compensating them, the process has delayed due to difficulties in
verifying ownership, especially where there is no proper documentation. He
was on Monday speaking at the launch of this year's events marking the Energy
and Minerals Wealth Week.
//”Cue in Once we conclude….
Cue out:…. Continue work in.”//
Executive Director- Community Transformation Foundation Network wonders
why such a big project has no compensation timeline.
He claims that as a leader of the affected people in Lwengo, he
has been severally intimidated by security people over his lobbying activities,
adding that the security wants him to stop him talking to the people over the
matter.
//”Cue in which project does not ……
Cue out: “…talking, talking.”//
Apart from the delayed compensation, the people have been barred from
carrying out any economic or social activity on the land which is now idle, yet
they are not sure when they will get money to resettle and restart their life,
according to some. They cannot grow crops on the land or bury.
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development says it is ready to
play its part provided the Ministry of Energy and the involved companies
complete the evaluation and verification exercises.
The Director for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Moses Kaggwa,
wondered why the people along the pipeline project route have been ordered off
their land before they are compensated, adding that this is not how government
works.
He was speaking at a dialogue organized by the regional trade rights advocacy
group, SEATINI, on the themes: Life Before Profits and Make Investments Work.
