Simon Basajjampola of Buwanga village, like many other speakers blamed the NOPP Project Manager Susan Lakwonyero for continually giving them empty promises of payment in a short time over and over again, and blamed her for the love-hate relationship they developed with their otherwise beloved President Museveni.
A section of Buvuma Islanders who entered into an agreement with government to sell their land which was parceled out to investors for growing of oil palm are up in arms and swearing never to have anything to do with the National Resistance Movement unless and until they are paid.
In 2000, the government began the process of procuring an initial 5,000 hectares of land to give to investors to begin the USD 75.82m oil palm project in four lower local governments of Buvuma Town Council, Busamuzi, Nairambi and Buwooya sub-counties.
Since then, the government paid off some landlords and bibanja holders, and by press time, farmers are still demanding compensation which is to be effected through the National Oil Palm Project (NOPP).
Over 1000 residents in the villages of Kachanga, Kaziru, Tojjwe, Bukalabati and Bukiyindi in Nairambi sub-county who surrendered their land to the project have not been compensated and because they surrendered land to the investors, they have nowhere to cultivate food for both subsistence and for sale.
Unfortunately, their land is now harboring oil palm gardens of the investor, where the oil palm plants are currently ready for first harvests.
The project affected persons together with their leaders on Thursday September 26, 2024 met the members of the Parliamentary Committee of National Economy and revealed to the legislators their suffering in regards to the government’s failure to compensate them despite the fact that their land was cleared and the investor planted oil palm plants on it. The committee led by its chairperson, John Bosco Ikojo, the Bukedea County MP and his vice chairperson, Robert Migadde Ndugwa of Buvuma district convened at Kachanga landing site in Nairambi sub-county.
Migadde said that the government’s decision forcing fishermen from catching fish of the ‘mukene’ species has only served to compound the victims’ misery as they cannot send their children to school, let alone provide them with necessities like clothing and medical care.
Ismail Mawanda, the Buwanga parish chairperson told the legislators that the residents have seven times stormed the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) demanding for a solution, and the Deputy RDC Patrick Mubiru who attended the Kachanga meeting confirmed this saying, “True they came to my office and at times I have given them some money from my own pocket but I could not satisfy their requirements because they are many”.
In their report, the angry residents said families have been separated, domestic violence cases are on the increase, while learners have dropped out of school.
Kachanga village chairperson, Franco Wazaabwe said the National Oil Palm Project (NOPP) which is handling the oil palm growing, gave them seeds to plant eggplant, tomatoes and cabbage to allegedly earn some money as they wait for compensation.
Mawanda dismayed the parliamentarians when he disclosed that what they had seen was merely a drop in the ocean as a multitude of their colleagues in other areas are in a similar situation.
“Farmers in Kisiima, Bukimera, Rwabyonda, Bulwa, Buyando and Kanywero and in many other areas are going through the same suffering,” he said.
The chairperson asked the committee members, “Now harvest time for the oil palm they planted on our land is soon due for harvest; we wonder who is going to harvest it, ourselves or the investor? And if it is the investor, what is the percentage of interest he is supposed to give us as the land owners?”
The Nairambi parish NRM chairperson Ruth Nakumu suggested that the investor be given an order to surrender an acre or two of all land that was allotted to him, to give residents a place for growing food to feed the families.
Nakumu added that today in many homes, the general ailment especially among children is malnutrition-related diseases.
Hadija Nakato who was almost in tears said, “It is really painful as mothers to see our children malnourished when their peers in the neighbourhood who never jumped on the oil palm project band wagon are shining”.
Nakato further noted that because of the situation of need in their homes, their children have run away to homes of other people with food.
To compound their suffering, she said, they have failed to access poverty reduction funds under the women’s GROW project because, she said, beneficiaries are required to produce sale agreements which they do not have because they have not finalized everything as they are not compensated.
Simon Basajjampola of Buwanga village, like many other speakers blamed the NOPP Project Manager Susan Lakwonyero for continually giving them empty promises of payment in a short time over and over again, and blamed her for the love-hate relationship they developed with their otherwise beloved President Museveni.
The 82-year-old Paul Mwamai lamented that on surrendering their land, they were given certain documents to allegedly indicate who had been evaluated, and hastened to add that these documents are now useless as they cannot bail them out of their needy situation.
Mwamai also wondered whether their money was accumulating interest since the time they sold their land.
Kuzeifa Gonga of Bulwa village said that since 2012 they have been fed with explanations they do not understand to the effect that the money is in the system. “What is that system the Project Manager Lakwonyero keeps referring us to saying it is due but in vain? Is it some material substance that we can go and cut down with an axe and retrieve our money?” Bulwa asked, causing a lengthy laughter.
Continuing with their lamentation, they blamed NOPP officials for using a sugar coated language when convincing them to surrender their land, and the story makes a turn around when it is time to ask for compensation.
Musumba Shadrack Akatalekye said some farmers were compensated and those who were not compensated approached NOPP officials to inquire, and they were told to wait for the ‘supplementary’ budget, which he claimed, was never explained to them.
Kigomba Fred angrily asked the project handlers to pay them immediately because he argued, many of their colleagues have since died off without ever enjoying the fruits of their deal.
The sub-county chairperson for Nairambi sub-county, Yunusu Maganda said that although many residents willingly surrendered their land willing full payment, many are flocking to his office asking for assistance after their children faint with hunger.
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“And at 13 years, many girls have been misled into going into marriage to escape from hunger from their homes,” Maganda said.
Giving his voters courage, Migadde said their issue had come to the floor of parliament many times and that it is the reason the committee on national economy in which he is the deputy chairperson, decided to come to their area.
He defended President Museveni saying he has done his role but that there are some cheats somewhere who are behind their suffering.
Busia Municipality MP Geoffrey Macho thanked the residents for not accepting to suffer silently, but decided to come out in the open.
He said protesting is the language this government hears and assured them that now that the matter is within their hands, they should expect positive results.
Maracha MP Oguzu Lee clarified that it was wrong and illegal for the government to send away people from their land before paying them their due compensation.
Oguzu praised the residents for their patience, noting that some other people would have taken different steps which he did not elaborate.
And the chairman of the parliamentary committee on national economy, the Bukedea MP John Bosco Ikojo gave the residents assurances that their issue is in the right hands and that they should wait for good news soon.
Ikojo said it is wrong to punish people who acted in good faith and gave the government their land, and they are paid back by denying them their compensation.