By Our Reporter
NAMISINDWA
Preparations for the implementation of the multi-billion-shilling Angololo Multipurpose Water Resources Development Project have resumed in Namisindwa District, with local leaders calling for cooperation as land and environmental assessment processes get underway.
The Uganda-Kenya project, to be developed along River Malaba, is estimated at about Shs513 billion and is expected to transform water supply, irrigation, agriculture and energy production in parts of Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya.
Namisindwa District leaders, led by District Chairman, Bwayo Emma and the Resident District Commissioner, attended an entry meeting for the project, which will involve updating the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Resettlement Action Plan, alongside preparations for land acquisition.
The project will include a major dam, irrigation infrastructure covering about 4,000 hectares, a 1.3-megawatt hydropower plant, and water supply facilities expected to serve more than 270,000 people. It will also support livestock, fisheries and commercial agriculture.
In Namisindwa, parts of Namitsa, Bubutu, Nabitsikhi, Namboko and Lwakhakha Town Council are among the areas expected to be affected by the project.
Bwayo cautioned local leaders against allegedly inciting residents who may be affected by the project, particularly through inflating compensation expectations or acting as brokers.
Bwayo urged leaders to allow the official assessment and compensation processes to take their course, saying misinformation and interference could delay a project expected to bring major economic opportunities to the district.
Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Wolyama called on residents to embrace the project, saying its implementation could provide opportunities for increased agricultural production, employment and improved livelihoods.
The Angololo project is a joint Uganda-Kenya initiative under the Nile Basin framework and is intended to improve water security, food production, energy access and regional economic development. The Nile Basin Initiative says the project is expected to benefit communities in Namisindwa, Manafwa and Tororo in Uganda, as well as parts of Kenya.
The project is currently at the preparation and structuring stage, with governments and development partners working on financing, implementation arrangements, environmental assessments and land-related processes before construction begins.
