Sango bay oil palm project fails to start over delayed boundary opening

Kyotera, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The oil palm project in Kyotera district has failed to take off due to the delayed boundary opening of Sango Bay land and registration of all Project Affected Persons-PAPs.

The project was meant to start in January after compensation of PAPs which had been planned to take place in December 2021.

The land measuring 247 square miles is located in the areas of Kanamiti, Matengeeto, Mutukula, Lukulavu, Lukoma, and Kabale villages in Kakuuto sub-county, and in Kabira, Kasasa, and Kyebe sub-counties in Kyotera district. Sam Mayanja, the State Minister for Lands had given January as the official deadline for the registration exercise and boundary opening of the land. However, it was extended up to the end of last month.

According to Teopista Mbabazi, the Kyotera Deputy Resident District Commissioner, they did not meet the deadline due to delays in the processing of the PAPs documents among other challenges.

The registration exercise was delayed because it is being done only at Mayanja Community Centre in Kakuuto sub-county for all the PAPs in Kyotera and Kakuuto constituencies.

John Paul Mpalanyi, the Kyotera County MP says that in the last meeting with Mayanja, it was suggested that another registration centre be set up at Kabira sub-county headquarters.

Mpalanyi adds that the majority of occupants of the land in Kyotera are facing challenges traveling over 40 kilometers from Kabira to Mayanja for registration.

Francis Kizza, the Kyebe LCIII chairperson explains that more than 500 affected occupants had boycotted the registration exercise claiming they were given inadequate time to organize.

Anthony Wanyoto, the NOPP Communications Officer, says the project will be implemented by BIDCO Uganda Ltd on behalf of the NOPP. He further says they have nothing to do about the delays but to wait until every process is completed before the official handover of the land.

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