The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Thursday commissioned forty-six houses located in Kyakaboga Parish, Buseruka Subcounty Hoima District to the eligible households, who opted for resettlement during the land acquisition process for the refinery and other petroleum infrastructure in Kabaale Parish, Buseruka Subcounty Hoima District.
While presiding over the ceremony, Eng Simon D’Ujanga, Minister of State for Energy thanked the project affected persons (PAPs), the Bunyoro region for accepting to host a significant part of the oil and gas infrastructure that is required for Uganda to become an oil producing nation.
“The 29.57 square kilometres of land in Kabaale will host the 60,000 barrels of oil per day refinery, an international airport, Petrochemical Industries together with crude oil storage, Logistics, warehousing and other associated facilities,” D’Ujanga added.
The commissioning of the houses is a culmination of the land acquisition process which was guided by a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) study. The objective of the RAP was to provide a framework for the compensation and resettlement of the project affected persons and provide mechanisms through which any impacts of the resettlement could be mitigated
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Permanent Secretary MEMD, Robert Kasande, the Acting Director, Petroleum said, “As part of the resettlement, livelihood restoration activities will commence. This includes drilling of additional boreholes to supplement the one already installed, connection of electricity to the houses which already have conduits, opening of the roads in the resettlement area, assisting the PAPs to clear their farm land and construction of a commercial and community centre whose designs are being developed by Hoima district local Government.”
The planning of the resettlement area was undertaken by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in consultation with the district, Buseruka Sub County and the project affected persons.
In addition to constructing the resettlement houses, the Ministry has also rehabilitated and expanded Buseruka and Kabaale health centres together with Buseruka Primary school, and re-constructed Nyahaira and Kyapaloni primary schools, each with seven class room blocks of three streams each and staff houses.
Big up to government for accomplishing this great work. Hoima will soon become a model city.