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dam-l Nile Dam opposed/LS
This appears to have gotten messed up in the first transmission; I'll try again.
>PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
>
>On Saturday, April 25th, 1998, the Busoga Lukiiko, the leaders of the
>Busoga Kingdom on the East bank of the Nile, publicly announced their
>opposition to the Nile Independent Power project on the White Nile near
>Bujagali Falls. The Busoga Lukiiko released the minutes of a meeting held
>with the Minister of Natural Resources on August 8th, 1997, wherein they
>describe their opposition to the dam and their displeasure with the lack of
>consultations by NIP. The minutes for the August 8th meeting follow:
>
>" Preservation of Budhagali Falls
>
>The meeting was informed that the executive Committee of LC. 5 and the
>Isabantu Kyabazinga's Cabinet formally had a meeting at Bugembe with Hon.
>Sendawula, Minister of Natural Resources to discuss the siting of the
>proposed Hydo Electric Power Plant at Budhagali Falls.
>
>The Chairman LC5, Mr. Muwumba expressed great disappointment that
>Government was taking decisions to destroy Budhagali Falls by building a
>Hydro-Electric power plant without any discussions or consultations with
>the Jinja District Local Government.
>
>The second disappointment was that the Nile Independent Power Directors
>were going to the site talking to the people about the Power Plant
>directly, without going through the authority of the area, ie. Jinja
>District Administration. In order to persuade the people to support the
>Dam, false promises were made: to give them free electricity, free
>education, free hospitals, etc. The LC5 Chairman pointed out that such
>false promises, which cannot easily be fulfilled, may in the future cause
>unrest, and the burden of keeping peace would fall on the shoulders of the
>Government, including the local authority.
>
>The third disappointment was that Nile Independent Power was claiming that:
>'over 85% of the local residents are completely in favour of the project
>and that the vast majority of Central, Local, and District Political
>leaders are also in favor of this project.' It is obvious that the people
>afffected by the destruction of Budhagali Falls are more than the few Local
>Residents in the area. This is a local and a national issue. The Chairman
>stressed that he was aware that local political leaders are NOT in favour
>of destroying Budhagali Falls, BUT they are in favour of choosing another
>site down the river on which to build the proposed Hydro- Electric Power
>Plant.
>
>The District Chairman pointed out that the new Constitution under which
>Uganda is being governed gives POWER TO THE PEOPLE. Furthermore, this
>government has initiated the policy of decentralization which gives certain
>powers and responsibities to Local Government to decide on and control
>matters which concern the welfare of the people and protection of the
>Environment within its jurisdiction. Although looking after the welfare of
>the people is a joint responsibility with Central Government, Central
>Government should not do it alone without consultations and discussions
>with Local Authorities.
>
>CONCLUSION:
>
>The Hereditary Rulers pointed out to the Hon. Minister that if the
>governement is bent on destroying Budhagali Falls this would be tantamount
>to destroying
> Busoga, since this is one of the few remaining SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL sites
>of Busoga."
>
>
>
>This document was hand delivered to Stephen Linaweaver, Director, Bujagali
>Falls Campaign, at a cabinet meeting of the Busoga Lukiiko at Bugembe
>Headquarters, Jinja, on April 25th, 1998.
>
>PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
>
>
>
>
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>Stephen Linaweaver, Adrift Uganda, P.O. Box 7681, Kampala, Uganda
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>Email: adrift@starcom.co.ug
>
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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