"Court quashes UGX9Bn award to Karuma power project land claimants"

The Court of Appeal has quashed the decision by the High Court to award 9.3 Billion Shillings as compensation to claimants of land where the government is currently constructing the Karuma Hydro Power Project. A panel of three justices Christopher Izama Madrama, Irene Mulyagonja, and Monica Mugenyi has set aside the award issued to nine people by the High Court Judge Andrew Bashaija...In 2015, the nine people sued the Attorney General and Sino Hydro Corporation Limited for compulsory acquisition of their two pieces of land measuring approximately 8.109 hectares and six hectares at Nora Kamdini in Oyam district.

The land was acquired between 2011 and 2012 for the construction of the Karuma falls dam by Sino Hydro Corporation Limited for the land measuring 8.109 hectares out of which a portion measuring 3.705 hectares was compulsorily acquired for the construction project. The remaining part of the land which falls outside the construction project was used as a dumping site and an access route by the construction firm...The Judge was also faulted for having gone ahead to award the 8.3 billion shillings as the price of the rock deposits which the government argued that the figure was reached upon based on speculation that the claimants were engaged in the business of rock exploitation and extraction of quarrying.