Residents, investor clash over Shs3b stone quarry

Residents of Mundaa B Village, Dabani Sub-county in Busia District have accused a construction company undertaking a Shs3b stone quarry project in the area of destroying their crops and trees while opening the road leading to the site.

Quarry works are being undertaken by Namaubi Enterprises Limited, a company in which the Busia District chairperson, Mr Stephen Wasike Mugeni, reportedly has shares.

Mr Yusuf Gusino Makhoha, a resident, said the grader, which is widening the road leading to the quarry, has destroyed his crops and trees.

“The investor has, in the process of widening the road, destroyed several of my trees and bananas yet these have been my only source of livelihood,” Mr Makhoha said at the weekend.

He added that when one of the local council officials contacted the investor over compensation, he was physically assaulted and dragged him to Dabani Police Station for allegedly failing the road project.

Ms Christine Nafula, who claimed her maize was destroyed, said whereas they (residents) accepted to have the road widened, the investor did not alert them to remove their crops and is wondering whether he will compensate her.

Mr Eddy Macho, a resident of neighbouring Nangwe Village, said he fears the diverse environmental effects due to the quarry works in the area, which he said are characterised by use of explosives to blast rocks that emit deafening sounds. 

When contacted, the district chairperson, Mr Mugeni said the road the residents are complaining about is an old one which has been worked on by the investor.

“Before the roadworks were undertaken, we consulted the district council and area residents, including Mr Makhoha, who agreed to have the road worked on. This isn’t a new road, but we have simply improved on it after residents allowed us to do so,” he said.

According to Mr Mugeni, he paid the necessary fees to the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) and put in place all efforts to mitigate any environmental destruction.

Mr Stephen Baali, the Dabani Sub-county chairperson, said the investor never consulted them, adding that since the said road falls under their jurisdiction, the district had no business discussing its construction.

Mr Baali noted that as a sub-county, they are interested in knowing how much the investor is to remit as revenue and whether they have plans of compensating residents complaining about destruction of their crops and trees.

Despite the complaints, some residents say the stone quarry project is a great opportunity for the area, which has seen over 30 hitherto unemployed youth earn a living.

Mr Zeribabari Gusino, the Mundaa B Village chairperson, said the road not only connects the quarry site to his area, but also links up three villages and has made the area accessible to the many trucks that ferry sand from the area.

“For several years, the rock lay idle, while some residents used it for drying their crops but I am happy that an investor has taken to exploiting it,” said Mr Gusino.

Mr Jimmy Ngolobe, the Busia District Natural Resources Officer, said he visited the quarry site and established that the investor was following Nema guidelines and no house had developed cracks due to the rock blasts.

He, however, said he has received complaints from some residents regarding the destruction of their crops and trees during the opening of the road.

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