Ministry urges Gulu landowners to allow irrigation project to start before compensation

GULU, October 26, 2026 — The Ministry of Water and Environment [MWE] has appealed to landowners affected by the multibillion-shilling Unyama Irrigation Scheme in Gulu and Amuru districts to allow construction works to commence before receiving compensation, amid growing concerns over delays in implementing the project.

The government says compensation can be undertaken in phases during construction to prevent further delays to the project, which is intended to boost agricultural production and strengthen farmers’ resilience to prolonged dry spells.

The Unyama Irrigation Scheme is expected to cover 700 hectares along River Unyama, stretching across Angany village in Patiko Subcounty, Gulu district, and Pabbo and Opara sub-counties in neighbouring Amuru district.

The scheme is among three major irrigation projects being implemented under the third phase of the Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation Programme [FIEFOC-3], valued at US$ 125 million.

The other irrigation schemes are located in Nakapiripirit and Bulambuli districts in eastern Uganda.

The projects are intended to promote commercial agriculture, increase agricultural productivity and reduce farmers’ dependence on rain-fed farming, which has increasingly been affected by prolonged dry spells.

Upon completion, farmers benefiting from the Unyama scheme will be organised into a cooperative to ensure effective governance, operation and management of the irrigation infrastructure.

However, construction of the Unyama scheme, which was initially scheduled to begin in May 2025 following the award of the contract to Ambitious Construction Limited, has yet to commence.

The delay has been attributed to disagreements over compensation, with project-affected persons [PAPs], supported by local leaders, insisting that they must be compensated before surrendering their land for construction.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the Unyama Irrigation Scheme at the Gulu District Council Hall on Thursday, Eng. Patrick Okotel, the Manager of Multipurpose and Bulk Water Development at the Ministry of Water and Environment, urged the affected landowners to prioritise the project’s long-term benefits.

“I am appealing to you to allow the contractor to start work. Compensation can take place in phases. Look at the bigger benefit that the project will bring to the community once it is implemented,” Okotel said.

He explained that compensation was a gradual process that could continue alongside construction, citing progress at the Sipi Irrigation Scheme in Bulambuli district, where works have reportedly reached 60 percent completion.

According to Okotel, construction at Sipi was able to proceed after affected landowners agreed to allow the contractor access to their land before receiving compensation.

“You can never finish compensation in one day. It’s a process that will continue throughout the construction phase of the irrigation scheme,” he said.

Okotel disclosed that 36 of the 56 project-affected persons in Gulu district had already consented to the commencement of construction works.

However, local leaders challenged the ministry’s proposal, arguing that the existing compensation rates were inadequate and could leave affected households without alternative land for resettlement.

Ballington P’Ongwech, the Gulu District Secretary for Works and Technical Services, questioned the government’s proposed compensation rate of Shs 1.5mln per acre, saying it was insufficient to enable displaced residents to acquire replacement land.

“Where in Uganda will you find land at Shs 1.5mln for an acre? Where will the PAPs go and settle if they are displaced before being com pensated?” P’Ongwech asked.

He urged the government to allocate adequate financial resources to compensate affected households before construction begins.

Similarly, Gulu district LCV Chairman Justin Obol called on the Ministry of Water and Environment to engage the affected landowners in fresh negotiations to review the compensation rates.

Obol argued that the Shs 1.5mln per acre rate, which was agreed upon in 2016, no longer reflected prevailing land values.

“I have heard from the people. The main issue is the amount of compensation. If it is addressed, I think we shall have no problem. People want clarity on how much they will be paid. The issue of compensation, whether at once or in instalments, is not a problem. Be flexible and revise the rate,” Obol said.

Santo Onek, the LC I Chairman of Angany village, who said his 153 acres of land fall within the project area, proposed increasing the compensation rate from Shs 1.5mln to at least Shs 3mln per acre.

He argued that revising the rates would help address the concerns of affected landowners and facilitate the implementation of the long-delayed project.

Meanwhile, Rwot Baptist Latim, the Chief of Pawel, welcomed the irrigation project, describing it as a critical intervention in addressing the effects of climate change on agricultural production.

Latim pledged the chiefdom’s support in resolving land-related disputes that could arise during implementation.

“I know that issues concerning land always come with conflict. We are ready to mediate on any land matters that may arise,” Latim said.

He emphasised that irrigation infrastructure would help farmers sustain agricultural production during prolonged dry spells.

“As a chiefdom, we welcome and support the idea of irrigation. We see and know the challenge our people are facing with long dry spells. If the irrigation scheme was already here this year, farming would have been easier,” he said.

https://thecooperator.news/kotido-pushes-farmer-led-irrigation-to-boost-food-security/

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