You want Oil by 2020, but for who?


Everyone is excited about the expectation of the first oil to be pumped out by 2020 and to this end, there are many processes that seem to be in haste in order to achieve this target. Over years now, the Albertine graben has been busy with developers undertaking various activities in a bid to ensure smooth operations. The question that is never answered is, whose oil is it? Whose development is it? To have over 817 PAPs not compensated for their land for a central processing facility in Kasenyi, Buliisa is not good news at all to them! No wonder, recently the residents had to protest and stop the Developers from accessing this land until they are fully compensated! They are absolutely right, there can never be development for us without us; you cannot want to acquire of 300Square miles where people derive their livelihood all in the name of development and leave them helpless.

As if that is not enough, we have gone ahead to launch the East African Crude Oil Pipe line that will run from Hoima to Tanga with about 2,900Km in Uganda. It is expected that this project should be completed by 2020- in 3 years that is; apart from promising Ugandans many jobs, is anyone thinking of how to avoid similar troubles? The Minister of lands has up to June 2018 to acquire over 100m of 2,900km land in linear form? Who is talking to the would be affected communities? Who is ensuring that the Resettlement Action Plan should be followed to the latter? Who is involving the Local Governments to ensure that they are well informed about the project and its implications and the readiness to mitigate such issues? All we are concerned about is getting the oil out by 2020 and paying less attention to the issues surrounding the wellbeing of citizens.

As a country, we need to ensure that development is not only inclusive but participatory! No one ever wants to fights development, unless it is not for them! We need to ensure that our people are part of all these processes for there to be meaningful benefits from the oil.

Michael Aboneka Jr.

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