Appreciating the aspiration of the State to do ‘development’ that it proclaims for the greater good of our country, but still I am uncomfortable.

What I hear about how the State is going about acquiring land and handing it over to transnational corporations to do ‘development’ in ‘partnership’ with the State, makes me uncomfortable.

Case in point, according to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda:

“One of the pre-conditions of the Final Investment Decision (FID) was for the Government of Uganda to ensure that land for the development of the necessary infrastructure to support the development of the Oil and Gas sector is fully acquired and availed to the developers.

The developers are TotalEnergies E&P B.V Uganda (TEPU) and CNOOC Uganda Limited (CUL) for the upstream and the EACOP Company for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline corridor.”

Consequently, thousands of smallholder farming families have been forcefully displaced off their land by the state, in order to make way for ‘development’; but which ‘development’ has instantly left them worse off.

Even though, the Petroleum Authority asserts that “Uganda’s approach to land acquisition for oil and gas infrastructure has emerged as a beacon of best practices for mega projects worldwide.”

Read “Uganda’s oil and gas sector: securing land rights for project development,” for more insights.

The Authority’s assertion is in direct contradiction to the cries of affected smallholder farming families. For example, “Witness Radio is concerned that the government is continuously weaponizing our legal system to facilitate corporate land grabs under the guise of national interest.”

This Witness Radio surmised in specific reference to 122 smallholder farming families that Court ruled against in favor of the State.These affected families were sued by the State for refusing the compensation money offered to them by the State; which money the affected families say is too little.

In its ruling, Court:

• Granted vacant possession of the affected people’s land
• Gave the State eviction and demolition orders against the affected people
• Discharged the State from any liabilities arising out of any claim and/or order arising out of the orders it granted.

Read “EACOP: Another community of 80 households has lost its land to the government and Total Energies to construct an oil pipeline” for more insights.

The implications of the Court ruling are that the affected farming families MUST accept the little compensation they were given for their land; while at the same time they loose their homes and their primary livelihood asset.

Consequently, with a stroke of a pen, Court made hundreds, more accurately, thousands of smallholder farming households poor. A law that permits Court to do so, is what I would change, if I had the power to do so.

I would legislate and make it so that Court is not permitted to make rulings that push people, whole communities, into poverty in the name of ‘development’. Court rulings would have to be fair and just.

If people loose their land to ‘development’, the compensation that they get for it, should enable them to re-start elsewhere at the same level as they are; or better off. That would be the law I put in place, if I had the power to do so.

Profiled photo @ Alinga Farms: Farmer Mukebezi wife of farmer Opiio at their home in Komolo Village in Pallisa District in Eastern Uganda, during harvest season for beans, when I visited them.