Uganda seeks more land for oil pipeline

A rig in Buliisa in Uganda. The country hopes to complete a joint pipeline with Tanzania in three years. PHOTO FILE | NMG

Originally, the government and the companies participating in the oil project indicated they required a strip of 30 metres for the pipeline and way leaves, but a new requirement estimate has more than tripled this to 133 metres along the 296km stretch in the Ugandan territory.
A Constitutional amendment to give government powers to compulsorily acquire land to carry on with critical infrastructure to avoid delays caused by disputes over compensation has kicked up a storm across the country.
The governments of Tanzania and Uganda that will jointly own the pipeline with private investors signed the Crude Oil Export Pipeline Framework agreement on May 26 and commissioned works three months later.