President Yoweri Museveni has assured the people of Bunyoro that the region will benefit from the oil reserves located in the area.
While on a campaign rally in Buseruka Hoima, Museveni said the opposition were lying to the people that the government intends not to offer any benefits from the oil to Bunyoro.
Oil drilling in western Uganda
Huge commercially viable oil reserves have over the years been confirmed in Uganda’s Albertine region located in Bunyoro’s districts of Bulisa and Hoima. The government and oil prospecting company Tullow oil are planning to start oil production in 2012 with the building of an oil refinery in Hoima expected to start in 2011.
The people of the area under the Bunyoro Kingdom have demanded an 17% share of the oil revenues but the government has been non-committal on whether the region will be given oil royalties.
Museveni said the area will benefit from the oil proceeds as provided by the constitution which guarantees that people in the area where natural resources are located should get 17% of the incomes from the natural resource.
But one of the sticking issues has been the fact that the constitution provides for sharing with local governments in the area where natural resources are found, yet the people of Bunyoro are demanding for oil revenues as a kingdom. Bunyoro is made of of Bulisa, Masindi, Kibaale and Hoima districts.
Bunyoro kingdom is neither a district nor a sub-country, the two recognized local governments, and the regional government provided for under the Regional Tier law is yet to materialize as the law is yet to be implemented.
Museveni who is the flag bearer of the ruling National Resistance Movement party promised that his government will tarmac Hoima – Buseruka to Kaisotonya raod (leading to the oil reserves), as well as Kyenjojo -Kibale road and the Masindi-Kigumba road. He promised the government is planning to provide piped water to the area, and continue to support self help projects under its bonabagagawale (prosperity for all) program.