Kabale RDC stops land surveys in rich iron ore area
The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma addressing the aggrieved local residents of Buhara sub county at the sub county head headquarters on May 22, 2025. PHOTO | ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
- The directive comes after residents complained about unlawful surveys, intimidation, forced eviction and selling of their land
The Kabale Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma has stopped acts of "unlawful" land surveys and making roads in people’s crop gardens in Buhara in Sub County, which has more iron ore mining fields.
The directive comes after a May 20 petition to his office from about 100 local residents in Kijonjo B and Kyase Villages in Buhara Sub County that complained about unlawful surveys, intimidation, forced eviction and selling of their land by the employees of Sino minerals investment Co. Ltd.
Sino minerals investment Co. Ltd is executing the establishment of a USD 34 million iron ore processing factory in the iron ore-rich Buhara sub county, Kabale District where they claimed that they have secured about 75 acres of land for smooth operations and a total of over 1,000 people will be directly employed.
During the community meeting chaired by Mr Nyakahuma and the Buhara sub county LCIII chairperson Mr Joseph Baryamujura on May 22, 2025, local residents that included Willy Tumuhimbise, Magret Tukahirwa, Jovanice Tuheirwe, Jolly Kwarikunda and Moses Ayebare complained about trespass, intimidation, forced eviction and selling championed by some of the employees of Sino minerals investment company limited.
“All acts of unlawful surveys must stop with immediate effect. Land surveys must be done after thorough dialogue with land owners because Ugandan laws clearly stipulate that land belongs to the people. A land acquisition committee must be put in place to ensure the smooth running of this project. Making roads in people's crop gardens must stop unless thorough consultations are done with the land owners,” Mr Nyakahuma said.
He also asked the authorities of Sino Minerals Investment Co. Ltd to pay land compensation money through a joint bank account for the benefiting families to avoid cases of domestic violence among the benefiting families.
The managing director of Sino Minerals Investment Co. Ltd Mr Kong Dong Sheng apologised for the alleged trespass on people’s land and promised that land acquisition laws shall be respected in the process and asked for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure that the planned construction of the Iron ore processing factory is successful.
“Nobody will be forced to sell his land. Those willing must do so in respect to the land market prices in the area. We need cooperation from all the stakeholders if the establishment of this planned Iron Ore processing factory is to be successful,” Mr Dong Sheng said.
Although some local residents complained about air pollution resulting from Iron Ore processing in the area, the general manager for Sino Minerals Investment Co. Ltd Mr Brain Munanura said concerns of environmental pollution will be addressed since the factory will be using hydroelectric power which has less emission unlike other factories that use coal or wood as sources of power.
He also said that they have opted to use the government valuer to determine the prices of land in the area to ensure that the land owners are appropriately compensated.
