The Albertine graben is one of the many regions that are being negatively affected by climate change.
Uncertainty of rains coupled with prolonged dry spells and droughts has led to difficulties in planning for many farmers in the region. In Bunyoro region, climate change is a serious threat to agricultural communities’ livelihoods.
Oil exploitation and sugarcane growing in the region are a major driving force in exacerbating climate change effects in the Albertine graben. There has been a population increase in the communities surrounding the refinery villages as result of resettlement of refinery-affected people.
Readers will recall that land amounting to 29 square kilometres for Uganda’s proposed refinery was acquired from 13 villages with over 1,200 households that had over 7,100 people in Buseruka sub-county, Hoima district. The households affected were too many and on resettling, they put land pressures on nearby areas. Remember that nearby Kabwoya is a game reserve.
River Wamababya has also been encroached on by the refinery-affected families which were compensated. Unfortunately, Bugoma forest has also not been spared from environmental degradation! Large-scale sugarcane growing is a threat and so is small-scale growing.
Encroaching on river banks, wetlands and forests is reducing water tables, according to the experts, thereby putting Uganda at the risk of water insecurity such as the one we have been witnessing.
Did you know that the newly-constructed Kaiso-Tonya road is also contributing to environmental degradation? This road has become a hotspot for charcoal selling! It is the forests in the Albertine graben suffering!
The various impacts of climate change will be exacerbated if oil activities and sugarcane growing, among other drivers, are not checked to ensure that they are environmentally-sustainable. Fishing activities have tremendously declined and it is now very difficult for a fisherman to catch a-five-kilogram tilapia or Nile Perch fish from Lake Albert.
To prevent further stress, development partners, the media and civil society organisations should join hands to fight environmental degradation. Government should operationalise the National Climate Change policy and should seriously enforce laws aimed at environmental protection.
Sandra Atusinguza,
Africa Institute for Energy Governance.
The Idi Amin legacy continues
No, I am not rich. I am one of the poor leaders in the world. And my intention is to work for the people. Not for myself.
That is the reason why if you check in all banks all over the world, in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, in the United States of America, you will never find an account belonging to me.
Because I work for the people of Uganda. I am a founder of the economic independence of Uganda. Those are the words of Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada as Uganda president.
In 1974, following a presidential decree, President Amin established Uganda as a full member of the Organization of Islamic Conference and its development bank.
To this day, Uganda gets an average of $100 million from the OIC as budget support every year. The money goes to fund development projects. For example, as recently as March 2016, the rural electrification project in Uganda received a grant of $70.7 million for expanding the electricity grid to rural areas.
In 2015, Uganda sought $110 million dollars (about Shs 370bn) to upgrade the 92-km Muyembe-Nakapiripirit road in north-eastern Uganda. Another recent project involved $34 million for financing enhanced national food security by increasing rice production in the districts of Iganga and Bugiri in Busoga.
Other projects through the years have involved electricity generation, clean water, basic health services, technical training and skills enhancement programs. All for the benefit of all Ugandans regardless of their tribe, religion, or the regime in place.
My father›s legacy, his service to the people of Uganda, and his contribution to the development of the country, continues.
Lumumba Hussein Amin,
husseinjuruga@gmail.com.
Footballers need attitude change
I recently read in the newspapers that football scouts were frequenting
The Cranes camp at Afcon in Gabon to hook up our players for possible recruitment to play professional football. It is good to hear such news. The question is: will these players make the grades while there?
It is very common to hear our players being offloaded, loaned or even failing trials. As much as we glorify our very own as talented, good and so on, we should also note that there is something inherently wrong with the attitude of our players.
Unless we critically address it, these so-called offers will only last for short periods. One starting point should be the mental preparation.
Players such as Emmanuel Okwi, Yunus Ssentamu, Geoffrey Massa, Goeffrey Sserunkuma, Daniel Sserunkuma, Steven Bengo, Khalid Aucho, Isaac Isinde, Mike Mutyaba, Brian Majwega, etc, have been offloaded at one time for failing to make the grade. This cannot be a coincidence.
Ugandan clubs, the Fufa technical committee, and football academy proprietors ought to brainstorm and find a solution to this problem. Otherwise, the wheel just seems to be going round for these lads.
Dun Mutono,
dnaigende@gmail.com.
Let Gambia case inspire the rest
Africa is endowed with natural resources but its people continue to live in poverty. This is because of bad leaders who cling onto power despite their disastrous performance.
What annoys most is that after standing in the way of Africa’s development, these same rulers demand maximum respect and remuneration from the people they oppress. They also demand that the oppressed foot the bills of their bullies. That explains why there is no African country which has graduated to developed status.
Now that some African leaders are waking up to stand against overstaying dictators as was the case in The Gambia, it is my prayer that this wave sweeps throughout the continent.
Kennedy Kabonge,
kabongek@yahoo.co.uk.
letters@observer.ug