UGANDA, Buvuma| Real Muloodi News | Locals residing in several villages within Nairambi Sub-county are contemplating reclaiming land earmarked for the National Oil Palm Project due to prolonged delays in compensation for their displacement.
The affected villages include Kachanga, Kaziru, Bukalati, Kisiima, Buyando, Bukiyindi, and Bwaka, where residents claim to have formerly occupied land now designated as part of the nucleus plantation for the oil palm project.
To facilitate the commencement of the National Oil Palm Project, the government required a total of 11,000 hectares of land, of which 3,500 hectares were earmarked to be owned by outgrowers.
Despite the government’s commitment to compensate private landowners affected by the expansion of the nucleus estate, residents express concerns over the protracted delay in receiving their compensation.
Sebastian Ndugwa, a resident of Bukalati Village in Nairambi Sub-county, voiced the frustration of many, stating, “We are tired of empty promises. We ask the government to meet its part of the bargain, lest we are going to reclaim our land and also seek legal redress for whatever we have lost.”
Clement Nvalo, another resident from Tojjwe Camp, recounted surrendering his four-acre piece of land for the oil palm project in 2014, yet he has not received any compensation to date.
Nvalo’s plight is exacerbated by his deteriorating health, which has left him unable to cover medical expenses or pay school fees for his children.
Similarly, Ritah Alokiti, 63, shared her struggles after her house was demolished to make way for the palm oil project.
Forced to rent accommodation since then, Alokiti faces difficulties meeting rental obligations and providing for her grandchildren, culminating in a near-arrest incident due to her inability to send her grandchildren to school.
Yunus Maganda, the chairperson of Nairambi Sub-county, expressed concerns over the deteriorating situation, citing increased cases of food insecurity and theft as locals resort to desperate measures to survive.
Buvuma Member of Parliament, Robert Migadde Ndugwa, called for urgent government intervention, urging either prompt compensation for all claimants or the option for residents to reoccupy land where oil palm trees have not yet been planted.
In response, Anthony Wanyoto, the acting spokesperson of the National Oil Palm Project, acknowledged that some claimants are yet to receive their compensation packages.
He disclosed that a survey and valuation of properties were conducted in September 2022, followed by a disclosure of the valuation report in November 2023.
Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture is processing payments for all surveyed, valued, and approved tenants.
Wanyoto clarified that the government had acquired four pieces of land, including parcels in Kachanga, Kaziru, Bukiyindi, and Bakalabata, with compensation provided to all landlords affected by the acquisition.
However, he refrained from disclosing the exact number of residents still awaiting compensation.
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