The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Democratic Party has announced plans to join the fight to defend the rights of property owners along the crude oil pipeline route. The US$3.5 billion oil pipeline project that runs through more than 10 districts stretches from Uganda’s Albertine region to Tanzania’s seaport of Tanga.
On April 11, 2021, President Yoweri Museveni and his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Hassan Suluhu signed the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project agreement in Kampala. Now, Norbert Mao, the DP President General says that the party is vigilant about what is going on under this project.
He says they intend to use their party branches in the affected districts to ensure that they fight for the rights of the property owners and ensure they get adequate and timely compensation.
According to Mao, they will engage their party branch leaders in the 10 districts next week to empower them on land rights and compensation provided for under Article 26 of the constitution of Uganda. The article provides for the prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation prior to the state acquisition of any property.
However, Mao says that they have realised that many people in the rural areas have a challenge of fighting for their rights especially on the land issue, which has prompted their intervention.
The Energy and Mineral Development Minister Maria Goretti Kitutu has already announced that the construction will only take place after the projected affected persons are compensated or resettled.
She says that the projects will comply with local and international procedures.
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