Community members allege that Tororo Cement contracted RAM Excavation Limited to mine sand from their river without consultation or consent. They claim RAM is transporting the sand for free and selling it to Tororo Cement at UGX 2 million per truckload.
Residents of Tapac Sub-county in Moroto District demand compensation for sand being used in the construction of the Tororo Cement Factory. The sand is being extracted from a river in Nakonyen Village, approximately 10 kilometers from the construction site in Kosiroi Village, Tapac Sub-county.
Community members allege Tororo Cement contracted RAM Excavation Limited to mine sand from their river without consultation or consent. They claim RAM is transporting the sand for free and selling it to Tororo Cement at UGX 2 million per truckload.
Residents have also raised concerns over the deployment of security personnel at the site, questioning the company's motives. A spot check by our reporter confirmed the presence of two UPDF soldiers stationed at the river.
Albert Loru, a resident of Nakonyen Village, expressed alarm over the trucks extracting sand from their river, which the community also uses as a source of domestic water.
"We are not allowed to access the river, yet it is where we fetch water. Why does the company want to ferry building materials for free when they have a construction budget?" he asked.
Loru urged the company to formally engage with the community and establish clear terms for the sand extraction. Joseph Pulkol, LC3 Chairperson of Tapac Sub-county, said local leaders were unaware of how the site was acquired and were shocked by the security deployment and the ongoing sand transportation.
"The community keeps asking me about this sand mining, and I have no answers," Pulkol said.
"Why did the company start extracting sand without consulting the sub-county authorities?"
Pulkol stated that he intends to write to Tororo Cement demanding an explanation. If unanswered, he warned of a possible community protest to halt the sand mining.
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David Koryang, LC5 Chairperson of Moroto District, also condemned the extraction, questioning the presence of armed security at the site and the lack of local benefit.
"The sand is a major material at the site, yet the community is not benefiting. No revenue is being collected, and the locals are being exploited," Koryang said.
He urged Tororo Cement to engage with local authorities and agree on a revenue-sharing model to benefit the community.
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However, David Omido, the spokesperson for Tororo Cement Limited, clarified that the company contracted three firms to execute construction works and was not directly involved in the procurement of building materials.
"We are not buying any sand from the contractor. We only supply them with cement, steel, and stone dust from our headquarters," he said.
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Naran Manish, Managing Director of RAM Excavation Limited, defended his company's operations, stating that President Museveni had personally authorized him to extract sand from the river for the factory’s construction.
"I do not sell the sand. It is strictly used for construction, as authorized by the President," Manish said.
He also explained that security was deployed to protect the workers at the site, not the sand.
"Some leaders approached me demanding money for the site. When I refused, they started inciting the community," he claimed.
