The lack of a clear policy framework on the use of funds earmarked for expanding oil palm growing, coupled with unresolved land ownership disputes, is slowing the rollout of the oil palm project in Kalangala District. In 2023, President Museveni directed that Shs51.9 billion recovered from loans previously extended to farmers on Buggala Island be used to expand oil palm farming in Kyamuswa County. However, nearly two years later, the project is yet to take off, largely due to delays in issuing guidelines on how the funds should be utilised.
The expansion plan initially targets more than 700 acres on Sserinya Island, about 600 acres on Lulamba Island, and over 1,500 acres on Bukasa Island. Additional land on Bugaba, Bufumira, Buyovu and Funve islands is also earmarked, building on the already established 5,000 hectares of oil palm on Buvuma Island. Mr Samuel Muloma, the liaison officer for the Kyamuswa County Oil Palm Project under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif), said the absence of clear guidance from the government has delayed implementation.
‘We are still waiting for direction from the Ministry of Finance and Maaif on how this money will be put to use,’ Mr Muloma said in an interview on Monday. ‘Without approved guidelines, it becomes difficult to operationalise the project,’ he added. So far, 258 farmers owning more than 2,005 hectares of land have been registered, against a target of more than 4,000 hectares to support the expansion. Farmers in Kyamuswa are expected to begin planting during the September-December rainy season. According to Mr Muloma, this timeline is influenced by the need to coordinate early with Oil Palm Uganda Limited (Opul), the sole supplier of seedlings.
However, land tenure disputes remain a major obstacle. Mr Joshua Wafumbwa, a Kyamuswa County district councillor, said many residents occupy land owned by absentee landlords whose ancestors acquired it during the tsetse fly outbreak in the early 1900s. ‘Over time, families settled and farmed on this land. But relatives of the original owners have returned to reclaim it, leading to clashes with sitting tenants who have lived there for decades,’ Mr Wafumbwa said. He added that some disputes involve tenants who applied for leases on public land as far back as 2010 but never received formal documentation.
‘With no clear land ownership documents, many islanders fear they could lose their land once the project starts,’ he said. ‘We are not sure whether all the farmers being registered have proper ownership documents,’ he added. Mr Muloma said new registration requirements now compel farmers to provide evidence of land ownership to minimise disputes. ‘We do not want a situation where oil palm is planted and later someone emerges claiming ownership of the land. That is why documentation is mandatory,’ he said, calling on residents to register early so that surveys and farmer training can begin.
Kalangala Resident District Commissioner Fred Badda said his office receives more than 15 land-related complaints every week. ‘We are guiding residents on how to regularise their land ownership and encouraging those without documentation to work with landowners within the law,’ Mr Badda said. He added that surveys will also safeguard cultural sites, water sources, forest reserves and public land reserved for future developments. Mr Nelson Basalidde, one of the pioneers of the oil palm project in Kalangala, said stakeholders are keen to avoid mistakes made during the establishment of the Bujjumba oil palm project on Buggala Island.
‘We reviewed what went wrong before, including planting oil palm in fragile ecosystems near the lake. That should not happen again in Kyamuswa,’ he said.
Unlike in Bujjumba, where an outgrowers’ cooperative was formed after farmers had already planted oil palm, stakeholders have agreed to establish a cooperative before planting begins in Kyamuswa. ‘The proposed Kyamuswa Multipurpose Cooperative Society will be set up at the start to manage farmers’ affairs from day one,’ Mr Basalidde said. Kyamuswa Sub-county chairperson Steven Kavuma said local leaders are optimistic the project will boost the economy.
‘Many landing sites that had faded will come back to life, and more people will earn a living,’ he said, adding that leaders have lobbied for the project since 2015.
Senior agricultural officer Frank Nsimbi, however, warned of environmental risks if safeguards are ignored. ‘We must protect buffer zones, especially the 200-metre shoreline buffer. If we fail, Lake Victoria will suffer,’ he said. Mr Muloma said the 200-metre buffer has already been enforced on Bunyama and Bubembe islands and will apply across Kyamuswa, alongside tree planting.