Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has instructed the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to draft a supplementary budget aimed at compensating individuals affected by the Karuma hydro power project.
This directive follows a report from the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, which addressed a petition submitted by the Environment Governance Institute regarding the inadequate compensation and delayed resettlement of 119 households.
The proposed budget for resettlement is estimated to be Shs28 billion out of which Shs4.2 billion is for compensation.
“We do not want to wait for the 2024/2025 budget because this is an urgent matter. Present a case to Cabinet, we have passed very many supplementaries. I do not think we would reject a supplementary to compensate these people who have been suffering for long” said Tayebwa.
Tayebwa’s guidance followed a presentation of the report of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on the petition by project affected persons of Karuma Hydro Power plant.
“Let us support the minister and in one month, we shall call the minister to come and give us an action taken report,” Tayebwa revealed.
Recently, the state minister for Energy Phiona Nyamutoro said that the ministry was engaging the National Environment Management Authority and Nwoya District Local Government to fast track the necessary approvals to construct houses for resettlement.
“This is a matter of urgency and, the ministry is working tirelessly to see to it that the project affected persons are resettled and we call upon the support of Parliament in seeing that our budgeting for 2025/2026 is prioritized during allocations to enable us have this issue settled,” she said.
She added that due diligence was carried out before purchase of land to relocate the PAPs and the ministry is in possession of the land title, which will be transferred to individual persons.
Karuma Hydro Power Plant is a Run-of-the River plant located along River Nile, with the project area falling within Kiryandongo and Oyam districts.
Construction of the power plant started in December 2013 and was initially scheduled for completion in December 2018 but this was extended several time, with the last communicated date for commissioning set for September, 25 2024.