DEATH OF MY HUSBAND HAS AFFECTED MY COMPENSATION-KYANKWANZI EACOP PAP

Thursday, June 27th, 2024 | By

There was hope for a changed life after all modalities for compensation of the EACOP Project Affected Persons, PAPs were fulfilled by the family of Mr. Wilson Kigenyi and his wife Azuba Kigenyi of Kikajjo East B in Nabulembeko parish in Wattuba Sub county in Kyankwanzi District.

However, a dark cloud of uncertainty started hovering over the family after the death of Mr. Kigenyi last year. Mr. Kigenyi died of natural death and buried in the same land.

To Mrs. Kigenyi, the death of her husband was the beginning of her hopelessness.

“When he died, I lost touch of events and processes surrounding our compensation. The late registered our son as the next of kin and I don’t get updates regarding our compensation package”, Mrs. Kigenyi narrated to this website.

Mrs. Kigenyi’s frustrations are exacerbated by the fact that they were stopped from utilizing the land.

“We aren’t supposed to use this land for anything but I use the land for cultivation of food crops and I’m not certain when they will forcefully stop me”, she narrated seemingly terrified.

Asuman Sssembatya, the Nabulembeko parish chairperson says as leaders, they have done all within their powers but PAPs’ compensations remain a toll order.

“These people come and promise our people timely compensation but when they leave us, things change”, says Mr. Ssembatya.

In May 2022, the EACOP reported that at least 41 percent of the Project affected persons-PAPs under the East African Crude Oil pipeline-EACOP project have been fully compensated in Uganda. There are 3,648 project affected persons-PAPs under the EACOP project in Uganda.

The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.

It is envisaged to be the longest electrically heated pipeline in the world and will cross through 10 districts in Uganda, a distance of 296 kilometers and 25 districts in Tanzania, covering eight regions and 25 districts.

The government rolled out the program of acquiring land for the project in August 2018.

According to the agreed plan, the pipeline route will begin from Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Rakai and cross the Tanzania border between Masaka and Bukoba, and traverse Tanzania through Kahama, Singida, Kondoa, into Tanga.

The governments of Uganda and Tanzania signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA)for the EACOP Project on 26 May 2017.

Community Green radio has been working closely with the PAPs to ensure their rights are fully respected during the implementation of all Oil and Gas related developments. The radio serves as a platform for the grassroots as their voice.