Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has advised the Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Phiona Nyamutoro to consider requesting for a supplementary budget to resettle and compensate the Karuma Hydro power project affected persons (PAPs).
The proposed budget for resettlement of 119 people displaced by the power project is Shs28 billion out of which Shs4.2 billion is for compensation.
“We do not want to wait for the 2024/2025 budget because this is an urgent matter. Present a case to Cabinet, we have passed very many supplementaries. I do not think we would reject a supplementary to compensate these people who have been suffering for long” said Tayebwa.
He gave the guidance during the regional plenary sitting at Kaunda grounds, Gulu City on Friday, 30 August 2024.
Tayebwa’s guidance followed a presentation of the report of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on the petition by project affected persons of Karuma Hydro Power plant.
“Let us support the minister and in one month, we shall call the minister to come and give us an action taken report,” Tayebwa said.
Nyamutoro said that the ministry is engaging the National Environment Management Authority and Nwoya District Local Government to fast track the necessary approvals to construct houses for resettlement.
“This is a matter of urgency and, the ministry is working tirelessly to see to it that the project affected persons are resettled and we call upon the support of Parliament in seeing that our budgeting for 2025/2026 is prioritized during allocations to enable us have this issue settled,” she said.
She added that due diligence was carried out before purchase of land to relocate the PAPs and the ministry is in possession of the land title, which will be transferred to individual persons.
Committee Chair, Hon. Herbert Ariko said that the completion of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has delayed by 12 years, and yet it was initially intended to last 15 weeks from inspection in September 2012.
“The committee recommends that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development expedites implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan to fully acquire the project land,” Ariko said.
He added that the RAP identified the most affected as widows, widowers, the elderly, persons with disabilities, child-headed households, people living HIV, among others whose capacity to relocate was compromised and thus, recommended physical resettlement.
The committee’s report further recommended that an Adhoc Joint Assessment Committee composed of Energy Ministry staff, local leadership and the PAPs should be formed to periodically assess progress at the resettlement site.
“The committee has established significant gaps in the implementation of the RAP and compensation process. This is characterized by delayed, unfair or inadequate compensation and protracted resettlement of vulnerable PAPs which have negatively impacted their livelihoods,” Ariko added.
Kiryandongo District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Hellen Kahunde said that it is unfortunate that the people who voluntarily opted for resettlement are the most affected, with a call to action to resettle them.
“People are worried of losing their land because they do not have land titles,” Kahunde said.
Karuma Hydro Power Plant is a Run-of-the River plant located along River Nile, with the project area falling within Kiryandongo and Oyam districts.
Construction of the power plant started in December 2013 and was initially scheduled for completion in December 2018 but this was extended several time, with the last communicated date for commissioning set for September, 25 2024.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.