The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Amuru district authorities want the boundary of land hosting Attiak Sugar Factory to be opened in order to address community grievances. They argue that the numerous fire incidents at the factory and sugar plantation could be linked to the allegations of encroachment on the community land by the factory.
Michael Lakony, the Amuru District LC V chairperson said that opening the boundary will help to determine whether the factory has encroached on community land and settle people`s grievances.
Attiak Sugar Factory sits on over 8,000 hectares of land Gem-Pacilo village, Attiak Sub County, Amuru district that was leased by the family of the late John Omaya for 49 years.
It is jointly owned by the government and Horyal Investment Holdings Limited belonging to Dr. Amina Hersi Moghe. The authorities also want the family of Omaya that offered the land to sit down with Pacilo Clan and the community members who claim that their land was grabbed for a harmonization meeting.
On Wednesday last week, through the Amuru Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Jane Apio, the leaders and community members presented their resolutions to the Committee of Parliament on Trade and Investment, which visited the district to assess the production and productivity of Attiak Sugar Factory.
They also agreed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the sugarcane out-growers and Attiak Sugar be reviewed, complainants profiled and grouped for easy mobilization and leadership. They also resolved to review the land title.
The concerns come at a time when the Attiak Sugar Factory has halted sugar production and is battling numerous fire outbreaks and a suit where a section of Omaya`s family are contesting the manner in which they acquired the land. During the police annual crime report of last year, it was noted that the fire outbreaks in Attiak Sugar plantation are linked to grievances from the neighboring community.
At least 4,000 farmers who are mostly victims of the Lord`s Resistance Army (LRA) who constitute the Attiak Sugar out growers in Amuru district have also abandoned farming citing non-payment of their wages. They recently dragged the administrators of their cooperative and Atiak Sugar Factory, a subsidiary of Horyal Investment Holdings Company to the district labor office. The government has reportedly spent at least 290 billion Shillings on the sugar factory.
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