Senior Reporter
Residents of Birara village, Bukimbiri Sub County in Kisoro district, led by their Chairman Mubiru Benedicto, are requesting a portion of the profits generated from the sale of Murrum extracted from a piece of land owned by the sub-county.
The land, located on Nturo hill in Birara village, Bukimbiri Sub County, Kisoro district, is rich in Murrum. Extraction activities began in early January of this year and lasted for about three weeks. The extracted Murrum was transported to Nyakabande by Sino Trucks to support the renovation of Nyakabande aerodrome.
On January 15th of this year, Vianney Mpungu Luggya, the spokesperson for the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), announced that the ongoing rehabilitation works at the aerodrome were expected to be completed within 90 days. He identified the contractor responsible for the project as Tetra Technical Services, which had taken over the Nyakabande site on November 30th, 2023.
Initially, residents resisted the company’s efforts to extract the Murrum, but they eventually agreed after intervention from district leadership. Benedicto revealed that residents were promised various benefits, including financial compensation and the leveling of the Nturo Playground, which is used by three primary schools in the area.
Unfortunately, none of these promises have been fulfilled, and the transportation of Murrum by Sino Trucks has stopped, with excavators being removed from the site.
Previously, the Bukimbiri LC3 Chairperson, Masheija Enos, expressed the sub-county’s intention to share the financial proceeds with the district. However, he mentioned the absence of a Memorandum of Understanding between the district and Tetra Technical Services. Masheija suggested using the funds to facilitate the installation of electricity in Kateriteri trading center, a proposal opposed by Mubiru.
The Member of Parliament for Bukimbiri County, Hon. Eddie Kwizera Wagahungu, stated that excavation activities had been paused to resolve ongoing disputes among the parties involved. He assured that after completion of the excavation, not only would the playground be leveled, but the land would also be allocated for the construction of the Bukimbiri Institute for Tourism-Related Studies.
