Oil production: Buliisa locals ask for inclusion
A rig at Ngege -E oil well in Buliisa District. Locals in the district say they lack information on how they can benefit from the industry. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Buliisa is one of the oil-rich districts but the locals told Daily Monitor on April 22 that they are likely to miss out on the benefits of the industry due to a big information gap and lack of resources to tap into it.
As the country gears up for commercial oil production in 2025, locals in Buliisa District say they lack information on how they will benefit from the industry.
Buliisa is one of the oil-rich districts but the locals told Daily Monitor on April 22 that they are likely to miss out on the benefits of the industry due to a big information gap and lack of resources to tap into it.
Mr Solomon Akugizibwe, a resident of Kisansya East Village in Kigwera Sub-county, urged the government and oil companies to sensitise the masses on what to expect should oil production commence.
“With intensive sensitisation, we will know how to invest our money wisely. The oil companies promised to return and sensitise the people on the benefit of the oil production, but they have not returned,” he said.
Ms Janet Byensi, a mother of 12, said: “Let government or oil companies come to our rescue and give us money so that we prepare ourselves to benefit from the oil industry.”
Mr Nelson Bamuturaki, a farmer and a resident of Kisansya East Village in Kigwera Sub-county, said there are no signs that production of oil will commence soon which has discouraged many of the locals.
“Government and oil companies are hiding information from the public, especially on numerous agreements and treaties signed with different oil companies. This has left people guessing what is happening right now,” he said.
Mr Kubalirwa Nkuba, a fruit farmer from Buribo Village in Buliisa Sub-county, said: “Without sensitisation on what they can do and how to do it, people of Buliisa cannot compete with the investors who have a lot of money and meet the required standards,” he said.
The Buliisa District Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) coordinator, Col Ben Kisembo, was also sceptical about what the locals would benefit from the industry directly due to the terms and conditions set by oil companies for potential suppliers.
These include registering a company, paying tax and online registration of suppliers, among others.
Col Kisembo, however, said they are encouraging local farmers to register with oil company or national supplier databank because they may have an opportunity to supply products to the oil companies and other related parties.
“The mango farmers, for instance, can register with the Buliisa Mango Grower Cooperative so that they have a voice to determine or negotiate the price to supply at,” he said in an interview on April 23.
He revealed that another challenge in preparing people to benefit from the oil industry is lack of land for setting up bigger projects.
Background
Uganda discovered commercially viable oil deposits in the Albertine Graben region in 2006.
The discovery is expected to boost economic growth as recoverable oil volumes now stand at one billion barrels.
Early this month, Uganda and Tanzania signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to transport crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga Port in Tanzania.
