Stop Court Evictions of Women PAPS, Communities Ask Minister Nabakooba
UJK Admin.
In a letter dated 21st January 2025, Ninety-three (93) women, youth and other vulnerable persons from districts affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, Tilenga and Kingfisher oil projects penned to the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), Hon. Judith Nabakooba to address challenges they face.
Their demands? That the minister takes action to stop the payment of inadequate and unfair compensation to women affected by oil projects, as well as the use of courts to evict women and other vulnerable persons resisting low compensation.
“Hon. Minister, we are sure that you have heard complaints by project-affected persons [PAPs] from across the country who decry the payment of delayed, inadequate and unfair compensation to them when government compulsorily acquires their land. From complaints by PAPs affected by roads projects[1], to those affected by dams such as Karuma2, the cries are deafening,” the women’s petition reads.
They add, “We have also suffered the challenges of delayed, inadequate and unfair compensation as it has been documented by various media[2], research4 and other reports.”
The women note that while all citizens bear huge burdens when they are paid inadequate and unfair compensation, women suffer graver challenges than men.
“Women are more disproportionately affected than men when government or project developers pay PAPs inadequate, delayed and unfair compensation. This is because more women than men make a living through farming,” the women petitioners say.
They add, “When women’s land is taken without adequate compensation, women find it hard to replace the land that they lose, which makes it difficult for them to provide food for their families. They also suffer increased domestic violence, experience family break-ups, and become more vulnerable to sexual violence among others.”
The women argue that failure by the Minister of Lands to put in place regulations for the assessment and payment of compensation as required to under Section 20 of the 1965 Land Acquisition Act has made women and other PAPs vulnerable to being paid delayed, inadequate and unfair compensation.
[1] Daily Monitor; Shs. 500m tree: Caretaker warns Unra of misfortunes:
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/shs500m–tree–caretaker–warns–unra–of–misfortunes—3744110 2 UBC; Karuma power dam: Project-affected persons unhappy with compensation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffsD0aEWb24
[2] The Independent; EACOP: Kyotera PAPs petition parliament over compensation:
https://www.independent.co.ug/eacop–kyotera–paps–petition–parliament–over–unfair–compensation/ 4 AFIEGO; A research report on the socio-economic impact of the EACOP resettlement activities on the affected people: https://www.afiego.org/downloads/research–report–eacop–project–impact–on–affected–people–in–uganda–2
