Kampala, Uganda – Members of the parliamentary Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources questioned officials from the Energy Ministry on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, regarding delays in compensating 119 Project Affected Persons (PAP) who occupy 465 hectares of land acquired by the government for the construction of the yet-to-be-commissioned 600MW Karuma hydropower project by Sino Hydro, a Chinese state-owned company.
State Minister for Energy Okaasai Opolot led the officials and suggested that changes to land laws may be necessary to expedite future government projects.
Committee Chair and West Budama South MP, Emmanuel Otaala, expressed concern about whether the compensation delays would lead to an increase in the overall cost of the dam. In response, Eng Emmanuel Nsubuga, the Principal Energy Officer and Coordinator of the 600MW Karuma project at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, confirmed that the cost of the Karuma dam would indeed rise.
Nsubuga explained that the plan was to distribute the land in lots. In Nwoya district, 200 acres were acquired at a cost of UGX 975 million, and those among the 119 who accepted compensation will be given houses fenced off from the National Game Park.
Kyankwanzi Woman MP Christine Bukenya criticized the energy officials for not properly planning the project, comparing it to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Bill, which had been carefully planned from the beginning.
MP Otaala called for strong recommendations to be made, highlighting the need for sanctions against officials responsible for the delayed compensation, as it had caused financial losses to the government.
Agule County MP Polycarp Ogwari noted that the number of landowners had increased over time, leading to mentions of “ghost landlords” in the petition. Unknown individuals reportedly obtained letters of administration for PAPs’ land, depriving the rightful owners of compensation.
Bokora County MP John Bosco Ngoya expressed pessimism about the compensation project’s progress and called for more proactive measures.
Mitooma Woman MP, Juliet Agasha, highlighted how the costs of the Karuma dam had increased due to a disturbance allowance.
According to the Energy Ministry, there are a total of 1,174 claims, with 1049 already compensated, 125 outstanding claims, six claims pending in court, and 119 claims for physical resettlement. The total compensation paid so far is UGX 6.8 billion.
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