Hoima District Leaders, Stakeholders Call for Fair Share of Employment Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry.
The Hoima District Chairman Uthuman Mugisha has appealed to the government and oil industry developers to ensure that local people in Bunyoro region are considered for employment in the industry.
Uthuman says while Bunyoro region has harnessed the ongoing upstream and midstream oil and gas activities, many are yet to feel the impact of industry when it comes to employment of local people.
He made the remarks during a stakeholder’s engagement organized by Uganda National Oil Company UNOC on sharing views about the Environment Social Impact Assessment for the Oil Refinery Project on Monday afternoon at Hoima Resort Hotel. He says local people should be employed in the industry in order to fee a great sense of ownership and belonging as host communities of multibillion oil projects in the region.
UNOC contracted Prome Consultants Limited to carry out ESIA studies for the Oil Refinery which will be located in Kabalega Industrial Park, Kabaale sub county in Hoima district. The government has already contracted Alpha MBM company from Middle East to construct an Oil Refinery which is expected in 2030.
Robert Mukondo from UNOC said that the Refinery will have four major components which include; Mbegu Water Intake Pipeline, The Kabaale Refinery, the 211 KM multiproduct pipeline that will run from Kabaale Refinery to Mpingi and a Remote Refinery Storage facility in Mpigi district.
Patrick Kamanda the lead consultant on the ESIA says the ongoing engagements are meant to analyze and find mitigation measures for expected environment and social challenges ranging from water pollution, oil spills, noise pollution and waste generation among others.
The Hoima RDC who was represented by the DISO Alex Omeja said the district is committed to supporting the oil refinery project more especially when the country is waiting for the first drop of oil this year.
The Kabaale Oil Refinery is expected to refine 60,000 barrels of oil per day with a design to process crude oil into liquefied petroleum gas, Jet Aviation Fuel, Petrol, Diesel and other refined products.
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