Govt to pay off locals affected by mining activities
Mining in Karamoja Sub-region is one of the activities that was recently affected by the suspension of DGF funds. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Last month, the community blocked the road to the quarry, saying the mining activities had led to contamination of water sources and other environmental degradation.
The government has pledged to compensate residents affected by mining activities in several villages in Kapchorwa and Bulambuli districts.
The area is where Kampala Cement company mines pozzolana, a key ingredient in the manufacture of cement.
The most affected villages are Kaboryot, and Kapchela in Kawowo Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, and Buwekanda Village in Nabbongo Sub- county, Bulambuli District.
The affected villagers have since 2014 been demanding compensation from the company.
They allege that mining activities have put their lives at a risk due to dust, vibration from machines and flying rocks from sites that have destroyed their houses.
The residents also allege the company created a 2km access road to the quarry without compensating owners of the land.
While meeting the affected locals and their leaders at the weekend in Buwekanda Village, Nabbongo Sub-county, the minister of Internal Affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, said communities deserve compensation.
“If the company has failed to compensate you, we as government, we are set and ready to compensate you because we want development, but development with responsibility,” he said.
He added: “We are all concerned and we promise we are going to pay for all the damages caused and later we will compel Kampala Cement to pay us back.”
Mr Otafiire said a team of geologists and environmentalist economists will visit the affected communities this week to assess the damages so that they know how much each household should be compensated.
“We are going to start with Bulambuli because it has more claims and later we shall move to Kapchorwa but only genuine claimants will be compensated,” he said.
Last month, the community blocked the road to the quarry, saying the mining activities had led to contamination of water sources and other environmental degradation.
In November 2019, the Members of Parliament on the Natural Resources Committee ordered cement companies to halt their operations in the area over environmental degradation but the company never heeded to the orders.
Ms Irene Nafuna Muloni, the Woman MP for Bulambuli District, said there is too much water logging and flooding due to mining activities in the affected areas.
“Our people have lost their plantationd, shelters, animals and worst of all, they have no access to clean water,” she said.
