KIKUUBE – Hoima Sugar Company Limited (HSCL), an Indian owned company growing sugarcane and producing sugar in Kikuube district has compensated families whose relatives died in road and factory accidents.
The company compensated four families with Shs 32 million. Each family received Shs 8 million at a function held at Kikuube district Resident District Commissioner (RDC’s) office.
The compensation was made after Kikuube district Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amlan Tumusiime, intervened after the affected families petitioned.
The compensated families include the family of late Joseph Senyojjo of Ruhunga village in Buhimba sub-county Kikuube district who died on 5th February 2021 after falling down from the building which he was constructing at the factory and Walter Kwikiriza a resident Ruhunga kikiimizi who died on 21st July,2021 this year after he was knocked by a company truck which was carrying sugarcanes heading to the factory.
Others are John Bosco Akampurira, a welder from Kanjonga village in Kiziranfumbi sub-county, Kikuube district who died on 25th July, 2021, after he fell down from the tank while he was welding and Justin Ogen from Lenju village in Mbombo sub-county, Kigorobya constituency, Hoima district who died on 27th July,2021 after he was crushed by sugar machine.
Speaking during the handover of the compensation to the families, RDC Tumusime commended the company for responding to his advice adding that the compensation of the family had some challenges since most of the victims were attached to the subcontractors.
Tumusiime however, challenged Hoima Sugar Company management to put in place measures to end the increasing accidents inside and outside the factory.
He blamed the accidents in the factory on lack of safety and health protective gears and grievance handling by the truck drivers.
He noted that though the district needs the company because it provides jobs and other development, the lives of people surrounding the company and employees must be protected.
Tumusiime called for sensitization of the drivers and public on traffic regulations to avoid accidents that have claimed the lives of several people.
According to him, sensitization will help people to change their behaviors on roads adding this will reduce accidents in the future.
“Please Hoima Sugar Company, try by all means to see that you reduce accidents both in factory and the road, we have had several discussions and I think that if you implement some of the things we discussed, we shall be helped,” RDC Tumusiime demanded
Mpuga Anther Kikuube district, Labor Officer cautioned the families of the deceased against misusing the compensation money and challenged them to use the money to look after the orphans and the windows.
He warned them against using the money on their personal interests and advised them to invest the money, to be able to educate the orphans in future.
Ramesh Rajagopah, the Agricultural Manager HSCL, regretted the incidents adding that the company has already formed a health and safety committee to help in enforcing the safety of the employees at the company.
He added that the company has also put in place strict measures to the sub-contractors to ensure that all the sub-contractors’ employees get insured.
He noted that this will in future address the challenge of compensation in case of accidents.
He also promised that the company will provide the health and safety protective gears as one of measures to avoid accidents at the factory.
The widow of Akampurira, Regina Ahaisibwe commended the RDC for fighting for them to get the compensation adding that the factory official had failed to complete them claiming that the deceased was not their employee since he was working for the subcontractor.
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