Bujagali Dam-Affected Peoples Demand Promises Be Fulfilled

Date: 
Monday, September 27, 2004

On September 27, 2004, the community resettled for the proposed Bujagali Dam submitted the following letter of grievance, signed by thirty–three members of the community.

To The Minister of State For Lands
Hon. Baguma Jsoke

Kampala, UGANDA
RE: BUJAGALI DAM AFFECTED PEOPLE – UNFULFILLED PROMISES

We, whose signatures and fingerprints are attached herewith, are some of the people who were displaced by the proposed Bujagali dam Project and resettled at Namilyango village, in Naminya Parish, in Wakisi sub county in the year 2001.

The following promises which remained unfulfilled were made to us:

1. Land Titles

2. Electricity

3. Dispensary

4. A Primary School

5. Ecological Sanitation Toilets

6. Market Land

7. Fish Pond

8. and Access Road

    We are also concerned that money which was supposed to be paid to some of our members in respect of the losses of houses and land lost due to the proposed power transmission line.

    We are also concerned that since AES Nile Power left, it is not clear whom we should be addressing our problems to.

    It might also be interest of the government in general and your ministry in particular that we are facing a serious fuel crisis. As we have to move three miles from the resettlement land to obtain ever diminishing firewood for cooking.

    Therefore, the purpose of this letter is:

    1) To voice our support for government plan to provide electricity through the construction of Bujagali dam, provided that the above mentioned problems and concerns are resolved.

    2) And to seek for a meeting with you to discuss and jointly find ways of resolving the outstanding issues detailed in our letter.

      We shall be very grateful if we get speedy and appropriate response to our letter; we are asking for the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) to follow up.

      Note: Copies this letter have been sent to the World Bank, the Minister of State for Energy, The National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Area MP Buikwe North.

      Thanking you in advance.

      Yours faithfully,
      [The undersigned]