Saturday, April 5th, 2025 | By
Several farmers in EACOP affected areas in Kyankwanzi district are reporting huge agricultural losses and distorted livelihoods due to compensation delays.
Abas Mukanguzi 70 years old one of the affected farmers in Kamukanga village Byerima Sub County in Kyankwanzi District says they were told not to plant long term crops which also forced them to start growing food for eating.
Mukanguzi who grows guava says his life was affected due to the kind of fruits he grows.
“My life changed negatively because I can’t plant my guavas since they take long to grow and yet it was my source of money,” Makanguzi painfully explains.
Mukanguzi says some of his children are still at home since he is longer earning money that he used to get because guavas had good market. He is contaplating relocating to another district.
“I am planning to shift to Kiboga so that I can plant my fruits soo that I can earn some money againt to look after my family as I wait for the compensation,” Mukanguzi said.
Samuel Mugisa the Social Affairs Officer at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda -PAU said there is a program that is put in place as part of the ECOP’s commitment to empower affected households through Livelihood Restoration programs, aiming to restore, transition, and improve their livelihoods.
Beatrice Nyansiyo the Sub County Councilor says some people stopped farming hoping there are to be paid in a short time as promised by the company and the government. She adds that the affected persons have experienced a setback in their livelihood since the area is predominantly occupied by communities entirely dependent on farming.
“Many of our people have just started to improve on their living because they had waited for their money to relocate and start farming in other areas. They no longer have hope because we have tried as local leaders but all in vain,” she said.
Florence Nabulime, a 58 year farmer says there only hope is that there is information that any time they are to be compensated.
“We had taken long without any information relating to compensation but we now hopeful that compensation will come soon. We opened bank accounts and only wait for the money”, Nabulime said.
The EACOP is a planned 1,443km pipeline to be constructed from Western Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The pipeline is expected to transport crude oil from Uganda’s Tilenga and Kingfisher oil fields to export markets
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