Oil & Gas: PAU Acquires More Land for Exploration

PAU-exploration

In a bid to expand Uganda’s gas and oil sector, the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) has embarked on Land Acquisition for Oil and Gas Projects and revealed that Project Affected People (PAPs) will be adequately compensated.

“The oil and gas sector in Uganda is at a critical stage. The commercial negotiations which will impact both the profitability and the sector’s contribution to inclusive development are in the final stages,” said Ali Ssekatawa, the Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at PAU.

Ali Ssekatawa,Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at PAU.
Ali Ssekatawa,Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at PAU.

“The infrastructure required to commercially produce the Country’s 6 billion barrels of oil and gas resources have been clearly defined. This includes the precise location for the various infrastructure,” he added.

This infrastructure includes well pads and flow lines, crude oil pipelines, central processing facilities, a refinery, base camps, and access roads, among others. These facilities are being set up for four key projects; the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects (for development of the fields and production of the crude oil) together with the Refinery and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline projects (the commercialization projects).

Ssekatawa also revealed that since Uganda’s oil and gas resources are onshore, the above facilities will be developed on private land acquired from the communities.

 Additionally, some of the required lands belong to Government entities. The said land will be acquired after prior, fair, and adequate consent and/or compensation of the communities affected.

PAU officials inspecting land and gardens owned by Project Affected Persons
Cassava Demonstration farm in Buliisa, livelihood restoration project

The halt in field activities for land acquisition for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project (and likewise for the Kingfisher and Tilenga projects) as a result of scaling down of project-related activities and later the COVID-19 pandemic has caused anxiety among the Project Affected Persons (PAPs).

In addition, false reports wrongly state that PAPs (Project Affected People) have been stopped from using their land while others have been forcefully evicted without compensation. There have also been allegations that the PAPs were made to sign compensation forms without adequate information.

The Petroleum Authority of Uganda acknowledges the delay in the compensation process; however, no PAP has been evicted or stopped from using their land as has been portrayed.

Sekatawa said that the 1,443km EACOP will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Kabaale in Hoima district to Tanga in Tanzania, for export to the international market. It will be buried to a depth of about 1 meter below the ground for all its length.

In Uganda, the EACOP will cover 296km, through ten (10) districts (Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, corridor and the land for this has already been identified by the Government. The Kingfisher project covers Kikuube and Hoima districts, whereas the Tilenga project covers Buliisa and Nwoya Districts.

Petroleum-Authority-of-Uganda-PAU-officials-inspect-a-workshop-on-land-that-is-allocated-for-Oil-Exploration
Construction skills livelihood project in Hoima

All the PAPs for the projects have been identified, and the affected property assessed and valued. During the assessment and evaluation exercise, all PAPs (and their spouses) will be required to sign on their assessment forms to confirm that what has been captured is indeed what has been taken stock of by the valuers and assessors. This shall be done in the presence of local leaders, district leaders, Government representatives including staff of PAU.

There is always a translator from the community who interprets the information in the local language to the PAPs. All PAPs are given a copy of the assessment form.

The information captured is then compiled into a Valuation Report that states the compensation award for each PAP. Compensation rates for crops and structures are determined by the District Land Boards while land rates are determined based on market value.

All these are based on prevailing market rates for the financial year in question. The PAPs will be compensated as per the valuation reports approved by the Chief Government Valuer (CGV), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

On approval of the Valuation reports, the compensation amounts are individually disclosed to the PAPs in the presence of their spouses. The cutoff date is announced after taking stock of affected land and properties. The announcement is meant to inform PAPs that any and all improvements made on the land following that period would not be eligible for compensation.

Replacement houses in Kikuube for Kingfisher PAPs
Replacement houses in Kikuube for Kingfisher PAPs

Project Friendly to Agriculture

Following the assessment exercise, the PAPs were advised to continue with the cultivation of seasonal crops, but any new permanent structures or long-term crops would not be compensated. The PAPs would also be allowed to harvest all their crops and salvage any materials after compensation.

Each PAP is aware of the boundaries of the project land and as such free to utilize the land outside the project footprint as he/she wishes.

The PAPs are only required to vacate project land following receipt of full compensation for said land. Currently, the only PAPs that have been requested to vacate project land are those in Tilenga Development Project RAP 1 and Kingfisher Development Area (KFDA) RAP 1 both of whom have been fully compensated and their resettlement houses completed.

All PAPs that have not been compensated remain in possession of their land and are free to keep utilizing it, within limits. Several livelihood restoration programs in agriculture, business, financial literacy, and skilling are also implemented as part of the package to support PAPs transition.

The PAPs are therefore allowed to utilize their land post-cut-off date announcement with the understanding that new developments will not be compensated, but crops can be harvested and any materials salvaged. All land surrounding and outside the project area is however not affected by the cut off dates.

It is therefore prudent to note that nobody has been evicted from their land. After compensation, a notice to vacate will be issued with timelines within which the affected persons must move/ relocate from the project land.

The PAPs are therefore encouraged to continue using their land as the process for compensation is fast-tracked by the Government.

The delays occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges such as absentee landlords are regrettable; Preparations are in high gear to resume the compensation processes within a month’s time subject to the Ministry of Health Standard Operating procedures. The PAU will ensure that all PAPs are promptly, fairly, and adequately compensated.

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