By Mulengera Reporters
A community meeting in Buvuma began with anger, shouting, and strong protests. Residents were upset because they had not been paid for the land they gave for the oil palm project that is under Bidco over 10 year ago. Many even threatened that they would not vote for President Yoweri Museveni if their money was not paid.
The anger erupted when Clement Kaate, a village leader, revealed that some villages had already received compensation while others had not. This made the crowd furious. People shouted and blamed local leaders and government officials for keeping their money, saying they were being treated unfairly.
About 450 families, who had been excluded from the compensation list, had previously taken their case to Mukono High court in 2018 and even in December 2025 camped at the State House in Entebbe to meet President Museveni personally. They had been demanding payment for years, after being left out of the National Oil Palm Project’s initial compensation process.
The issue dates back to June 2025, when President Museveni visited Buvuma as part of his Parish Development Model (PDM) program. During that visit, he issued a directive to compensate affected residents, but some officials defied it, causing long delays and frustration for the affected families.
State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja, and Rebecca Atwine, the Special Presidential Advisor on Anti-Corruption, went to the Buvuma meeting with an important message from the President. Atwine explained that Museveni had personally ordered the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to pay all affected residents immediately.
A total of 42 billion shillings seem to be available for compensation with 28 billion shillings approved in a supplementary budget and 14 billion already released to the Ministry for immediate payments. Atwine emphasized that all payments must be made before President Museveni’s campaign rally on 3rd January 2026, and that there would be no further delays or new valuations.
The residents’ mood changed instantly. Tears turned into smiles, and anger turned into dancing. Many shouted that they now understood the delays were caused by some government officials, not by the President himself.
Local leaders, including District Chairperson Adrian Wasswa Ddungu, had tried to calm the crowd earlier, but it was Atwine’s clear message that finally restored trust. Residents said they were now ready to support President Museveni and promised to vote for him in the upcoming elections.
The protests, court action, and camping at State House had drawn national attention, pressuring the government to act.
He is now scheduled to hold a presidential campaign rally in Buvuma on January 3, 2026. Residents say they are eager to meet the President and are counting on the government to ensure all compensation is fully paid before the rally. The rally is expected to further strengthen residents’ confidence in the President, following the recent cash directive.
In the end, what began as a storm of anger turned into a celebration of relief and renewed trust, with Buvuma residents praising the President for listening to their concerns. Many expressed hope that this would mark a new era of fairness and accountability in government projects across the district. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
