The Chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), Baguma Isoke has revealed that government has already secured Shs 29 billion to compensate people in the Albertine region where the oil pipes are going to pass.
This was revealed during a consultative stakeholders meeting between Uganda Land Commission, Ministry of Energy represented by the State Minister for Energy, leaders of Mubende Banyoro United Association (MBA) and the Bugangaizi East MP, Onesmus Twinamasiko.
The meeting was chaired by the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga and discussed among others issues of compensation to those that will be affected by the project.
During the engagement, Baguma Isoke revealed that the money for compensation is available in the Land Fund. He however said that the Fund awaiti the Ministry of Energy to avail the map indicating which area is affected by the pipeline, before they embark on the compensation of the affected people.
“The Commission is waiting for a resolution of Parliament or a directive from the Ministry of Energy to go ahead and use the land fund to compensate the historical owner (Buganda) where it has not been done and also do systematic demarcation for the purpose of giving ownership to the current owners,” Isoke said.
In the petition issued to Kadaga in August this year, the Banyoro contend that Buganda now being the owners of the land titles in some parts in this region, the squatters appealed to government to clear off these absentee landlords hence secure the titles for the current settlers in order for them to be fully compensated as bonafide lamd owners.
The Chairperson of the Mubende Bunyoro United Association notes that with their current status as squatters, the compensation will not benefit them much unless government pays off those who currently hold titles (Buganda) who annexed the land in Bugangaizi and Buyaga counties in the 1990s.
Much of the land whose owners are to be compensated is in the hands of absentee landlords more especially in the areas of Katikara, Kasita, Nkooko, Mpasana Sub County among others in Kakumiro district.
