In this meeting attended by Acholi Cultural and Political leaders and Land’s Ministry officials, a consensus was reached on the giveaway of 10,000 hectares of land in Amuru district in Northern Uganda to the Madhvani Group. “Government shall ensure that the community through a framework that they will come up with; acquire shares in Amuru Sugar Works Limited.” Said, Betty Amongi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
In the agreement, the government will take the majority of the shares some of which will be allocated to the affected communities in Amuru Sub-county. However, two days later there were Members of Parliament who were against this deal arguing that it was not cut under the right procedures. “We have been crying and telling them that this is a very poor approach. Right now we are in a modern era, you come to the people, come with clear terms and conditions, let us sign the agreement and we give you the land.” Said Gilbert Oulanya, MP Kilak County.
Aruu County MP, Odonga Otto said that as leaders and representatives of people from the contested area, they were to resist any move aimed at alienating the rightful owners from being part of the process. “By the stress of any imagination, Madhvani will not get even a quarter of an acre of land in Acholi without consulting the community. Actually, we will even check his pocket, he will not even carry sand in his pocket when he is on a field visit to come with to Kampala. So it is the biggest dream unless he consults the local people.” Said, MP Odonga Otto.
They blamed the Cultural leaders who attended the meetings for betraying the population. “The Cultural leaders in Acholi, they have no mandate of giving an individual land to the investor. In Acholi we have 52 Cultural leaders, each and every clan has its own Cultural leader, and therefore if an individual has got his property, you as a Cultural leader you have no right of giving out that individual’s property to any investor.” Said, MP Gilbert Oulanya.
Prof. Ken Muginyeko who mediated Monday’s meeting was also on the receiving end of the MPs anger and they said, he should concentrate on his work at Gulu University. “What is the role of Prof. Muginyeko who is a Vice Chancellor not even any leader from Amuru district? What is his role to carry those clan chiefs bring them to the office of the Minister and they sign the document.” Said, MP Gilbert Oulanya. “Any politician who opposes development in this Constituency or her Constituency is not suitable to be a leader.” It now remained to be seen whether the registration of the bid settlement supposed to take effect in two weeks would be implemented as the MPs insisted that all parties in Amuru had a final say on the matter. The fight for Madhvani Group to establish a Sugar Project here has lasted for years.
