The commissioning of the 600MW Karuma Hydropower Dam in Kiryandongo District was marked by concerns over vandalism and compensation delays for Project-Affected Persons (PAPs).
These issues have significantly hindered the dam’s construction and operation, according to officials during the event.
Eng. Badru Kiggundu, Chairperson of the steering committee, highlighted that vandalism, particularly the destruction of transmission lines, posed a severe challenge.
He cited an incident in Kasana where five transmission towers were vandalized overnight, resulting in an eight-month construction delay due to the need to import replacements from China.
In addition to vandalism, the project has faced persistent land acquisition disputes. Local leaders, including LC1 officials, the LCV chairperson, and the area Member of Parliament, Hon. Linos Gompek, emphasized the delayed compensation of PAPs.
Notably, 19 residents in Lapwono, Nwoya District, reportedly died while awaiting compensation. Hon. Gompek, urged the Ministry of Energy to resolve these disputes amicably without prolonged court battles.
Eng. Irene Batebe, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, acknowledged that although 90% of the PAPs had been compensated, a small percentage remained unpaid. She called on the government to release funds for compensation through the Community Action Development Plan, noting that the project, which began in 2013, was supposed to be completed by 2018.
Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa assured stakeholders that the Land Evaluation Bill, recently tabled in Parliament, would streamline compensation processes.
She explained that delays often stem from disputes over land ownership and family disagreements over who holds signing authority. She also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on the project’s timeline, stressing that future projects like Ayago and Yiba would be better managed.
The Karuma Dam, funded primarily by a USD 1.43 billion loan from China’s Exim Bank, with Uganda contributing USD 253.26 million, is expected to deliver electricity at 4.97 US cents per kilowatt-hour.
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