Hima cement hands over contested land to locals

TORORO. Hima Cement Limited has handed over the disputed land, which the company had reportedly acquired fraudulently in Mwelo Village, Mulanda Sub-county in Tororo District to more than 16 families that have been claiming ownership.
The handover of the land was witnessed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, the chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters, at the weekend.

Hima Cement took a decision to relinquish the land to the community after realising that their agent had not followed the recommended procedure in acquiring the land.
The land covers the villages of Pamaraka, Rugot and Mwelo South.
Hima Cement Ltd acquired the land in 2017 through its agent called Optima Mines and Minerals Consulting Company.

Justice Bamugemereire thanked Hima Cement for exhibiting the highest level of integrity. She said as a Commission, they were proud to witness the handover but discouraged other investors from using unscrupulous agents to acquire land for investment.
‘‘Some of the agents you use have bad reputations in the community, therefore, it’s our advice that when you want to acquire land, it’s better you deal directly with the land owners,’’ Justice Bamugemereire said.

She appealed to the members of the community to always be conscious of people they deal with on matters related to land.
“There are people, who have positioned themselves to amass wealth through cheating, be careful with them,” Justice Bamugemereire added.
The Chief Executive Officer of Hima Cement Ltd, Mr Jean Michael Pons, apologised to the affected communities. He said they have always ensured that land owners are paid for their land based on the current value.
“We apologise for the mess that was involved in acquiring your land, but we have taken a decision to relinquish the land to you without asking you to refund the money you had received earlier,’’ Mr Pons said.

He added: “It’s our appeal that you resettle and assume full ownership of your land.’’
Mrs Margaret Aketch, a widow and one of the residents, applauded the company for returning the land to the rightful owners.
‘’We don’t oppose development but we feel the investor did not use transparent means to acquire our land. In future, we are ready to offer our land in case they follow the right procedure,’’ Ms Aketch said.

BACKGROUND

The company acquired the land in 2017 to start a quarrying plant that would supply the factory’s new cement plant in Nyakesi Village Rubongi Sub-county, five kilometres from Tororo Town on Tororo-Mbale road.
But, a group of residents under their umbrella body of Mwelo Lands Rights Protection Association in April, petitioned Justice Catherine Bamugemereire led Commission of inquiry into land matters, accusing the company of fraudulently acquiring their land.
Appearing before the land probe then, Mr Dunstan Ndyaguma, the managing director of Optima Mining and Minerals Consultancy Company, was advised by the commission to get a lawyer to educate him on the land tenure system around Mwelo rock in Tororo.
The commission’s lead counsel, Mr Ebert Byenkya, said Mr Ndyaguma did not know the land tenure system in Tororo where he was hired by Hima Cement to buy surface rights for the company on a 21-year lease.
Mr Ndyaguma later concurred with the former Commissioner for Geological Surveys and Mines, Mr Edward Kato, who told the land probe that Hima Cement did not have a mining licence but a three-year exploration permit.

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