Atiak sugarcane outgrowers complain of non payment

Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Casual laborers deployed to open up sugarcane plantations under Atiak sugar factory in Atiak sub county in Amuru district have raised complaints of non payment. Under their umbrella “Dwog Cen Paco” loosely translated, “Come Back Home”, the 119 casual labourers, most of them former abductees of the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army-LRA, say they were contracted in  2016 to open up gardens and plant sugarcane for supply to Atiak sugar factory.

Santos Omony, the chairperson of the casual labourers says that Atiak Sugarcane Out growers Association chairperson Joyce Laker, and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) officials promised to pay them Shillings 5 million for each acre of cane annually.

According to the agreement, each male labourer was tasked to plant three acres of sugarcane annually while the female labourers were required to plant four acres. But Omony discloses that none of their members has received payment for the services rendered since 2016. Omony says that each male member is demanding Shillings 75 million while the female members are demanding Shillings 100 million each. The group comprises 77 women and 42 male labourers.

According to Omony, they have tried to push for their payment through various offices including the Resident District Commissioner, but in vain. Concy Aloyo, another aggrieved member and mother of four says that there hasn’t been clear communication from Atiak Sugarcane Out growers chairperson why they haven’t been paid. Aloyo says that she is banking on the many to get her senior three son back to school.

David Kilama, another sugarcane grower wonders why they have not been paid despite opening a bank account and going through all the verification by the government in Kampala. Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the Amuru Resident District Commissioner says that his office has already received notification about the complaints of the labourers.

Joyce Laker, chairperson Atiak Sugarcane Out growers Association says that they have not been able to pay their members because the sugarcane they planted was burnt. She also says that there is delayed verification of the beneficiaries by NAADS and the Ministry of Finance.

She explains that they expect to hold meetings with NAADS and the Finance Ministry this month to find out why the payment has not been effected. There are over 2,000 registered sugarcane growers under the Atiak Sugarcane Out Growers Association.

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