Seventy Kingdom subjects skilled for oil and gas opportunities

HOIMA – Seventy drivers from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom [BKK] have completed a three-month vigorous training program in driving heavy goods vehicles as one way of promoting local content in the oil and gas sector.

The training was initiated following a partnership between Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and China National Offshore Oil Corporation [CNOOC] Uganda Ltd.

Kingfisher Field Development area is spread over approximately 344km² in the Lake Albert Rift Basin in western Uganda.

The oil field is situated on the eastern bank of Lake Albert, which acts as a border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC]. It was discovered by the Kingfisher-1 wildcat well in 2006.

The training was initiated following several demands to Oil Companies and government by Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom officials to skill their subjects to be able to tap into upcoming oil and gas opportunities.

The trained divers from Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Buliisa, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kakumiro, and Kibaale the eight districts that form the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom were awarded certificates in accordance with the East African Community curriculum. The beneficiaries were trained by Uganda Driving Standards Agency [UDSA]. Out of the 70 graduates, six were females.

Mathew Kyaligonza, the National Content Manager for CNOOC Uganda Ltd explained that their partnership with the Kingdom started after realizing the Kingdom subjects were being left out on the training.

According to him, in the year 2020, they trained seventy people but unfortunately, only three were from the Bunyoro Kingdom yet the first priority was to be given to host communities.

He noted that CNOOC is committed to preparing the people of Bunyoro to see that they get involved in the oil and gas business.

He promised that next year the Company will train 110 drivers adding that the Kingdom will be responsible for the selection of the beneficiaries.

“This year we have trained 70, next year we are going train 110, we are making an addition of 40 and we are going together with the Kingdom to use the same arrangement where we shall get beneficiaries from the Kingdom in addition to Nwoya district; we are giving priority as national content objective to host communities to ensure that our people benefit,” he said.

Kyaligonza explained that apart from the trained drivers, the Company [CNOOC] partnered with Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba and Uganda Technical College Kichwamba and trained 84 teachers in their trainers’ program.

These teachers were trained and in return, they will train students in different skills such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and petroleum engineering.

He added that the Company, working with the Albertine region Vocation Training Institutes [VTIs] have managed to train 42 teachers adding that the 42 teachers will help in training your children with vocational skills to the international level.

He added that the Company is also training 120 welders from Bunyoro who will help in welding East African Crude Oil Pipeline [EACOP].

“We are doing all these to prepare the people of Bunyoro so that they can benefit from the sector, even after the oil and gas, our children will remain empowered and able to migrate abroad and work in other factories,” said Kyaligonza.

Mutiti Nyendwoha, the first deputy Prime Minister for the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Commended CNOOC for the initiative because the Kingdom has been longing for the empowerment of her people.

He said, there is still a need to prepare the Kingdom subjects for the upcoming oil and gas opportunities since the discovery of oil and gas has created a lot of excitement and anxiety among the people.

He also challenged the Kingdom subjects to engage in commercial Agriculture to produce enough to be able to supply the oil and gas sector.

Thousands of people are expected to come here once the production phase kicks off, these people will need food, accommodation, medication, eggs, and meat, so we need to engage in production to avoid importing them from other areas.

Nambazira Teopista Jolly, one of the beneficiaries from Kakumiro district commended CNOOC for the training.

She noted that this was a big opportunity for Bunyoro, especially women who have always been left out based on their gender.