Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has advised the Minister of State for Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Phiona Nyamutoro to consider requesting for a supplementary budget to resettle and compensate the Karuma Hydro power project affected persons (PAPs). 

The proposed budget for resettlement of 119 people displaced by the power project is Shs28 billion out of which Shs4.2 billion is for compensation. 

“We do not want to wait for the 2024/2025 budget because this is an urgent matter. Present a case to Cabinet, we have passed very many supplementaries. I do not think we would reject a supplementary to compensate these people who have been suffering for long” said Tayebwa. 

He gave the guidance during the regional plenary sitting at Kaunda grounds, Gulu City on Friday, 30 August 2024. 

Tayebwa’s guidance followed a presentation of the report of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on the petition by project affected persons of Karuma Hydro Power plant. 

“Let us support the minister and in one month, we shall call the minister to come and give us an action taken report,” Tayebwa said. 

Nyamutoro said that the ministry is engaging the National Environment Management Authority and Nwoya District Local Government to fast track the necessary approvals to construct houses for resettlement. 

“This is a matter of urgency and, the ministry is working tirelessly to see to it that the project affected persons are resettled and we call upon the support of Parliament in seeing that our budgeting for 2025/2026 is prioritized during allocations to enable us have this issue settled,” she said. 

She added that due diligence was carried out before purchase of land to relocate the PAPs and the ministry is in possession of the land title, which will be transferred to individual persons.

Committee Chair, Hon. Herbert Ariko said that the completion of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) has delayed by 12 years, and yet it was initially intended to last 15 weeks from inspection in September 2012. 

“The committee recommends that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development expedites implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan to fully acquire the project land,” Ariko said. 

He added that the RAP identified the most affected as widows, widowers, the elderly, persons with disabilities, child-headed households, people living HIV, among others whose capacity to relocate was compromised and thus, recommended physical resettlement. 

The committee’s report further recommended that an Adhoc Joint Assessment Committee composed of Energy Ministry staff, local leadership and the PAPs should be formed to periodically assess progress at the resettlement site. 

“The committee has established significant gaps in the implementation of the RAP and compensation process. This is characterized by delayed, unfair or inadequate compensation and protracted resettlement of vulnerable PAPs which have negatively impacted their livelihoods,” Ariko added. 

Kiryandongo District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Hellen Kahunde said that it is unfortunate that the people who voluntarily opted for resettlement are the most affected, with a call to action to resettle them.  

“People are worried of losing their land because they do not have land titles,” Kahunde said. 

Karuma Hydro Power Plant is a Run-of-the River plant located along River Nile, with the project area falling within Kiryandongo and Oyam districts. 

Construction of the power plant started in December 2013 and was initially scheduled for completion in December 2018 but this was extended several time, with the last communicated date for commissioning set for September, 25     2024. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has called for the degazetting of part of Gulu Central Forest Reserve that government offered for expansion of Gulu University. 

Tayebwa expressed concern that land was offered to the university following a presidential directive in 2020 which has not been heeded to.

“Yesterday, I visited Gulu University and there is a critical pending issue. Degazettement of land meant for construction of a teaching hospital. This is land given by government and the presidential directive was very clear,” Tayebwa said while chairing the plenary sitting in Gulu City, on 30 August 2024.

In 2020, President Yoweri Museveni directed the then Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda to degazzete 70 acres of Gulu Central Forest Reserve for expansion of the University. 

Parliament in 2021 passed a resolution approving the degazettement of the land.

The Deputy Speaker directed the Ministry of Lands and Urban Planning to expeditiously respond to the presidential directive.

“Within two weeks, action should be taken, the university has fulfilled what was required of them. This is government property, government borrowed money from the African Development Bank for degazettement of this land,” Tayebwa added.

The land is expected to host the Faculties of Medicine, Agriculture, Environment, research laboratories and a hostel. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Legislators have urged government to consider replacing the current recruitment system in local governments with a digital system, as a response to the glaring allegations of corruption and bribery in district and city Service commissions.

“The Ministry of Public Service should roll out e-recruitment processes across all local governments. This will limit physical interactions between job applicants and the commissions,” said Hon. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the Chairperson of the Committee on Public Service and Local Government.

Mapenduzi said that the committee registered stark allegations of corruption and bribery by the service commissions during oversight visits to local governments to the extent that citizens have lost confidence in the recruitment system.

“In Kikuube District, we learnt that the district failed to over Shs2 trillion meant for recruitment in the 2021/2022 financial year. The district at the time did not have a functional district service commission and made attempts to recruit through hiring the services of Kibaale District Service Commission but the recruitment process was suspended due to allegations of bribery,” he said.

Mapenduzi said these while presenting the report of the Committee on Public Service and Local Government about the functionality of DSCs and CSCs on personnel management in Northern, Western and Eastern regions, during the sitting of the House on Friday, 30 August 2024 and  chaired by Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa.

Mapenduzi related how his committee interacted with aggrieved people who had been kicked out of job contests due to bribery.

“In some interactions, aggrieved persons came up to state allegations against both political leaders and staff. During the radio talk show on Voice of Lango, a caller complained that the service commission asked for shs5 million to guarantee jobs,” he added.

The committee report cites political meddling in the recruitment process in contravention of the Local Government Act which provides for independence of the commissions.

There were instances in some local governments where the recruitment processes were put on hold by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) as a result of reported irregularities in the process.

MPs complained that prosecution of such cases tends to take long thereby affecting service delivery. Legislators asked that the IGG should ensure investigations on reported cases are handled expeditiously, and timelines should be in place within which such cases are concluded.

Mapenduzi further highlighted the woes surrounding the pension scheme which he said is marred with discriminatory and late payments.

“Pension management is problematic partly due to data migration in local governments. Transition from human capital management system delayed payment and as such there were pension arrears,” he said.

There were also complains that some pensioners were receiving pension that is not aligned with their salary scales. The committee called for a robust review of the pension.

Tayebwa observed that the report has critical issues requiring an in-depth debate which he deferred to a later sitting.

“This is a critical report that is cross cutting to the whole country, the issues of service commissions are big that I would not like to rush the debate. We will discuss the report when we go back to Parliament,” said Tayebwa. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

The low-level flypast marks three milestones for Emirates (https://www.Emirates.com/) and South Africa; The flying display celebrates the return of the second daily A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route from 1 September.

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, takes to the skies to celebrate its longstanding and ongoing commitment to South Africa, with the country’s first ever A380 flypast. Running up the score, the remarkable low-level aerial showcase also marks Emirates’ first ever flypast in Africa and the first international airline to execute such a feat in South Africa.

Honouring its shared love for rugby with over 62,000 enthusiastic spectators, Emirates flew the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft over Emirates Airline Park, just before kick-off of the much-anticipated Springboks vs All Blacks test match. Flying at an altitude of just 500 feet above the ground, the iconic Emirates double-decker aircraft saluted rugby and aviation fans, in its latest signature livery.

The Emirates A380 took off from O.R. Tambo International Airport at 16:00, travelling at a speed of 140 kts, reaching the stadium at 16:58, perfectly timed to follow South Africa and New Zealand’s national anthems. The impressive aerial feat follows months of thorough and cross-functional planning between stakeholders including multiple teams at Emirates, South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Emirates pilots, Flight Operation Managers and Air Traffic Controllers working together with the Emirates Lions team. The teams worked together across every element of the aerial display, taking into account air traffic patterns at different times of the day with different weather and wind conditions.

UAE National Captain Mubarak Al Mheiri, A380 Deputy Chief Pilot commanded the flight, joined by Captain Khalid Binsultan and Captain Abdalla Al Hammadi, both Technical Pilots for the Airbus A380 and Captain Richard Fiess, A380 Captain. Captain Mubarak has flown with Emirates for 19 years and has completed over 7,200 hours in the cockpit of the iconic A380. He has commanded similar flypasts for Emirates, including UAE National Day celebrations (http://apo-opa.co/3yXQLen) for the past four years and headlining the commercial aircraft flypast formation at the 2023 Dubai Air Show (http://apo-opa.co/3Xrar3A). He also participated in the iconic flight promoting Expo 2020 (http://apo-opa.co/3TdcRAq), which saw an A380 fly around an Emirates Cabin Crew at the very top of the Burj Khalifa; the unprecedented formation flight with the Jetman (http://apo-opa.co/3TdcSV0) team back in 2015; and with the Red Arrows (http://apo-opa.co/3Tddj1o) in 2022.

Afzal Parambil, Country Manager of Southern Africa, Emirates said, “Tonight’s record-setting flypast is a powerful display of our unwavering commitment to South Africa. It represents not just an achievement of technical excellence, but encapsulates our ongoing partnership with key stakeholders in South Africa, including the Civil Aviation Authority, O.R. Tambo International Airport, Emirates Lions and, of course, the strong relationship we’ve built with our customers and travel partners here over the years. For almost three decades, we’ve unlocked an array of choices for our customers, by offering an outstanding on-ground and in-flight experience coupled with seamless global connectivity, and we’re not slowing down now. We look forward to the next 30 years, and beyond, of serving South Africa and spotlighting its many attractions to the world.”

Pieter Burger, Ellis Park Stadium Managing Director, said, “The flyover has become such a pre-match entertainment staple at the iconic Emirates Airline Park. First witnessed in 1995 at the final of the international rugby showpiece where the South African national rugby team was victorious, to have had this moment tonight against the very same opposition was a thrilling experience for fans watching at the stadium and at home.

We are extremely grateful to our long-time partner Emirates who were pivotal towards the success of this project, together with all other role players involved. From a lasting memory perspective, this will certainly be up there for those who had the privilege to witness the moment.”

The flypast also marks the return of Emirates’ second A380 service on the Dubai-Johannesburg route, enhancing more customer choice and travel options with Emirates’ iconic onboard products and world-class service. EK761 departs Dubai at 04.05, landing in Johannesburg at 10:15, with the return flight, EK762, departing Johannesburg at 13.25 and touching down in Dubai at 23.45, perfectly timed for onward connections to key destinations in the Far East, Europe and the Middle East.

Emirates is one of the world’s biggest supporters of rugby. In South Africa, Emirates’ investment in the sport is headlined by its steadfast title sponsorship of the Emirates Lions, including naming rights of the team’s home stadium, Emirates Airline Park. The airline also sponsors the action-packed Cape Town Sevens, a regular fixture on the Sevens World Series calendar and one of the most popular live sporting events in South Africa, regularly drawing over 100,000 spectators.

Globally, Emirates can be found at the centre of the action from grassroots to professional leagues as the sponsor of Rugby World Cup since 2007, with prominent presence planned at the upcoming 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Firmly established as a long-term partner of South African aviation, tourism, and trade, Emirates has been serving the market for 29 years, connecting over 20 million travellers to/from South Africa with more than 140 destinations on its vast global network, via Dubai. The airline serves customers traveling to and from South Africa with 42 weekly flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, with additional connectivity to regional points across the country offered by its codeshare and interline partners South African Airways, Airlink, Cemair, and FlySafair.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Emirates Group.