700 landowners in northern Uganda not yet compensated
Energy minister Ms Irene Muloni. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
Appeal. Ocen says while they appreciate the government’s initiatives to provide electricity, they want compensation expedited.
Kampala. Mr Patrick Ocen says he met the conditions he had to for him to be compensated for his piece of land in the corridor earmarked for the Karuma - Lira power transmission line, in Oyam District, northern Uganda.
But like another 699 landowners in Oyam, Kole and Lira districts in northern Uganda, Mr Ocen is yet to be compensated by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), which will own the transmission line once it is commissioned in 2018, according to government projection.
“I opened a file and filled forms in 2013. Disclosure of values attached to the land, crops and structures was done in 2014,” he says.
He adds that for his one acre, which has a building, tangerine and coffee plants and trees, he is supposed to get Shs24 million.
“While we appreciate the government’s initiatives to build more power plants to provide electricity, we appeal to the government to expedite the compensation process,” Mr Ocen, a resident of Arok village in Aber Sub-county says, adding: “Those of us not compensated to date feel cheated.”
When contacted, UETCL’s principal communications officer Pamela Nalwanga told Daily Monitor that UETCL is yet to compensate all Project Affected Persons (PAPs).
“We are still in the compensation process. We shall continue compensating people as long as the money [for compensating PAPs] comes from the government,” Ms Nalwanga said.
“I can’t say when the process will end.”
According to the Energy ministry’s 2013/14 Ministerial Policy Statement, the government earmarked about Shs71 billion to compensate all the Karuma HPP transmission lines PAPs.
Besides the line to Lira, there will be the 248km Karuma - Kawanda line that will feed Kampala in central Uganda.
The transmission lines should be commissioned before the completion of the power plant - so that they can transport the electricity generated to the different parts of Uganda.
PAPs should be compensated before projects commence or end to enable the PAPs to relocate to other places.
It is not clear how much of the money the government budgeted for the Karuma HPP PAPs has been paid out.
The Energy ministry does not indicate in its FY 2016/17 how much of the close to Shs71 billion has been paid out and to how many PAPs.
Mr Ocen is afraid that by the time he gets his money, he might not easily get a piece of land since prices are increasing fast.
The fears
Mr Ocen says that like other landowners Robert Ogwal and Sam Bua, he might not afford to buy land by the time his money is processed. And the Energy ministry does not indicate in its FY 2016/17 how much of the close to Shs71 billion has been paid out and to how many PAPs.
