By Juma Magino
BUSIA
Residents living in gold mining areas have accused private land developers and gold mining companies of forcefully encroaching on their land while others have rejected low compensation provided by the private developers in exchange for their land.
Nasser Mukiibi, the Busia district chief administrative officer while addressing stakeholders in a mobilization meeting on Monday, 5th June 2023 at Chango-Macho hall in Busia municipality said that the issue of compensation has caused division among the community and land developers.
He said members of the communities with gold mining sites have rejected and always complained that investors are forcefully encroaching on their land with little compensation that does not match the value of their land and other resources on it like trees and crops.
The most affected residents are from the sub counties of Buyanga, Buteba, Sikuda Busitema, Bulumbi and Tira town council.
He added that as district leaders, they have held various engagements to see that land owners and investors solve this issue of compensation but in vain. He has promised the stakeholders that the district will keep on doing the job of mediator between the warring parties until they reach an agreement which is favorable to both parties involved.
On his part, Jimmy Ochom, a land rights activist from Oxam in Uganda, an NGO operating in Busia, told the meeting that their findings have also revealed that residents living around gold mine sites are on the verge of contracting life threatening diseases due to the contaminated water sources surrounding them. He said that this is due to the fact that gold mining companies in those affected areas are still using mercury which is dangerous to human nature.
He added that Kenyan nationals on the other side have also started a habit of buying land in the affected sub counties then later reselling it to gold mining companies who later contaminate water sources in the area making it hard for residents to use.
