LAND GRABBED, LIVELIHOODS DISRUPTED AS UGANDA OIL AND GAS SECTOR TAKES OFF

BY LIVINGSTONE OKUMU LANGOL

GULU CITY-WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2024

Hon. Twinomujuni Francis Kazini, the area MP for Buhaguzi East County, Kikubbe District told the Black Star News July 3, 2014 that so far, the government has compensated 80 percent of the oil and gas affected area in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.

Hon. Kazini disclosed that the 20% of the people in the kingdom who have not yet been paid opted to go to court on the ground the compensation payment was little.

He further revealed that the MPs from Bunyoro blocked thousands of land titles not to be given to land grabbers who took the opportunity and tried to acquire land in Hoima, Kikubbe and Buliisa districts when they learned that oil and gas were found in the area.

Buliisa and Hoima districts along with Nwoya and Pakwach fall within the Albertine Oil Grabben area with Nwoya District believed to have the largest oil deposits.

“I advised the people of Acholi Sub-Region to protect their land from land grabbers,” Hon. Kazini said.

Hon. Twinomujuni Francis Kazini said many of those compensated did not know how to manage what they got in the compensation packages. He also cited late compensation. He decried land grabbing by migrants from as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania who acquired land in the oil and gas belt in the hope of reaping benefits.

He said there are local land grabbers too, including the people from Bunyoro kingdom and the kingdom officials. He said the government is giving support to the locals to get land titles at cheaper rates.

Early on, Chris Ocowon, the Total Energies Senior Public Relations while briefing Northern Uganda Media Club at Global Friendship Hotel in Gulu City that the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), along with Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TODC), and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) boast of a 1,443 kilometers of oil pipeline from Hoima, Uganda to Fort Tanga in Tanzania, an Indian Ocean port, that will facilitate the oil trade. The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a US$4bn project.

Ocowun informed that the projection is that up to 230,000 barrels per day will be produced in Uganda and that the refinery at Kabaale will have an output of 60,000 barrels per day.

Ocowun informed that Tilenga oil well pads, are operated by TotalEnergies while Kingfisher pads in Kikubbe District are being operated by CNOOC.

Ocowun informed that the oil and gas sector currently employ 13,067 individuals with 11,752 (90%) being Ugandans.

Ocowun informed further that there are 31 well pads in Tilenga, out of which 21 well pads are in communities in Buliisa while 10 well pads are in Murchison Falls National Park.

“The people who have been impacted are 5,775 with 235 homes and new homes have been built for them,” Ocouwun said.

“We decided that the smallest house for the impacted people should be two-bedroom houses, with a stand-alone kitchen and latrine. “We are also mandated to go and look for land to construct new residences, we buy the land and even process land titles for affected individuals,” Ocowun informed.

Ocowun informed further that cash compensations have also been given to those impacted by the oil and gas sector. “Besides, we registered 356 graves and 360 shrines for compensation. “Two hundred fifty households were given food relief for a period of six months,” Ocowun informed.

Ocowun reiterates, “We are giving transition support to improve on agriculture, 13 Boran bulls to improve on the quality of cows, introduce exotic goats, better yielding cassava variety, and promote Vegetable growing which was not popular in Buliisa District.”

“We also trained over 1,000 people affected in vocational skills, carpentry and joinery, block laying, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and hairdressing,” Ocowun informed.

Others he cited was training the affected communities in financial literacy.

“The Hon. Twinomujuni Francis Kazini narrative, however indicates that much as compensation, relief, and training is given to the community, there are loose ends. “The community life is disrupted, land grabbers cheat them, they lack the know-how to manage the compensation and may be worse off than prior to the oil and gas projects. “They need additional and continuous support,” quipped a NUMEC journalist.

The US $4bn East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) under construction (Photo credit Total Energies).

TotalEnergies is sensitive in prompting what the community affected by the oil and gas sector do and promote their trade. The above women are beneficiaries of TotalEnergies support (Photo credit TotalEnergies).