Uganda: Residents in oil-rich region skeptical about benefiting from oil production, including availability of employment opportunities
"Bunyoro residents turn to oil firms for jobs, water"
Some residents in the Albertine Graben have cast doubt on the much-promised benefits, especially jobs for residents. Whereas several early impact projects such as learning institutions to skill the population are being undertaken by the oil companies and other partners, many people from the region have failed to feel the impact. The overriding reason is that the projects have not yet addressed unemployment and basic services such as health and clean water provision.
Buseruka Sub-county in Hoima District has been identified for the construction of the refinery and the government has acquired 29square kilometres of land. In turn, locals expect to be given good schools for their children as well as improved health facilities. The population survives on the only Buseruka HCIII which is aided by the government. Ms Peruth Mbabazi,47, a resident, thinks more should be done for the community. “They come and promise us schools and water, but they are yet to come,” she says...
In 2012, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) partnered with Nile Vocational Institute in Hoima to train 70 youth in welding, carpentry, joinery, masonry, plumbing, electric installation and hair dressing. Mr Zakalia Lubega, the corporate social responsibility manager at CNOOC, says it is not a guarantee that all trainees will be employed by the company. “We were doing that as part of the corporate social responsibility this is not a cost that we are going to recover from the government,” he says. “If we need masons, we can be able to get them from within this region, the same to carpenters.”