Plans by regional edible oil and soap manufacturer Bidco to expand its palm growing acreage in Uganda could flop amid protests by environmentalists.

Environmentalists in Uganda are threatening court action after the government and Bidco Uganda Ltd announced the company is set to get more land to expand its palm growing acreage in Lake Victoria’s Ssese Islands.

The environmentalists warn that further encroachment on the islands’ unique ecosystem and biodiversity will cause environmental degradation.

Rajab Bwengye, the programme co-ordinator at National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) argued that the project will affect the already polluted Lake Victoria waters, as well as threaten the survival of biodiversity and the livelihood of fishermen.

“We plan to consult our legal officers and see what to do, whether to sue the Ugandan government or Bidco company,” said Mr Bwengye.
The Uganda government last week said that it plans, together with Bidco, to start growing palm oil trees and establish a processing plant on Buvuma Island, Buvuma District, in Lake Victoria at a cost of $147 million.

Lands, Housing and Urban Development Minister Daudi Migereko said the project will occupy 10,000 hectares of land on the island, with 6,500 hectare nucleus estate under Oil Palm Uganda Ltd, and 3,500 hectares for out growers.

“So far, 3,400 hectares of land have been purchased from private land owners on Buvuma Island on a willing buyer, willing seller basis for the nucleus estate,” said Mr Migereko, adding that this particular scheme has been inspired by the successful implementation of the first palm oil project on Bugala Island.

Given the controversy that surrounded the allocation of land to Bidco in 2002 for its first project, the government needs to tread carefully.
Mr Migereko admitted that land acquisition for the remaining 3,100 hectares for the nucleus estate is ongoing, but will be strictly guided by surveyors, valuers, agriculturalists, district leaders and area land committees, to ensure fairness.

Bidco is keen on having its equipment on the island by July 1.

Accusations

This new project comes barely two months after Friends of Earth, a UK based organisation that brings together environ mentalists, accused the World Bank and the Ugandan government, in a report, of assisting big investors to grab land for commercial farming, causing poverty, environmental degradation and human rights violations. The World Bank has denied these accusations.

The report titled: Land, life and justice: How land grabbing in Uganda is affecting the environment, livelihoods and food sovereignty of communities, claimed the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development injected a combined $29.9 million in the palm oil growing and processing project, which has threatened the livelihoods of over 20,000 people of Bugala Island on Lake Victoria.

The Bugala Island project sits on 10,000 hectares of land, 6,500 hectares of which is under Oil Palm Uganda Ltd. and 3,500 hectares is for outer grower and small holder farmers.