In a bid to ensure that the affected land owners in the East Africa crude pipeline project are compensated, the Democratic Party is to start a campaign in the districts and regions where the oil pipe will pass.
The development by the party follows the signing of the tripartite agreement that will see Uganda and Tanzania start building the oil pipeline.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, DP president general Norbert Mao said that 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.
“We are concerned that Ugandan government does not have a single shilling for this pipeline project. We want assurance that the project’s first expenditure is going to be compensation of land owners,”he said.
He explained that the Constitution requires that anybody whose land is acquired for public projectis paid at the market rate before the acquisition.
“We know that the pipeline will create jobs but compensation is a human rights issue under the constitution of Uganda. We are going to be holding meetings and those meetings will be together including local leaders so that the citizens who live along the 296 km route for the pipeline know that they are not fighting on their own,”he said.
Mao said that they have realised that many people in the rural areas have a challenge of fighting for their rights especially on the land issues, which has prompted their intervention.
The compensation of people affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project, countrywide is expected to start this year.
The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.
According to the agreed plan, it will start close to Lake Albert in Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera and Rakai and cross to the Tanzanian side between Masaka and Bukoba.
