Hoima Sugar Limited

Last updated
Hoima Sugar Limited
Company typePrivate
Industry Manufacture & Marketing of Sugar
Founded2016
HeadquartersKiswaza, Hoima District, Uganda
Key people
Sarbhjit Singh Rajima
Executive Director
Products Sugar
Number of employees
5,000+ (2016)

Hoima Sugar Limited (HSL), also Hoima Sugar is a sugar manufacturer in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community and responsible for massive deforestation. [1]

Contents

Location

The company headquarters and factory are located on an 8,000 acres (32 km2) estate in Kiswaza Village, Kiziranfumbi sub-county, Hoima District, [2] approximately 31 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Hoima, the nearest large city and location of the district headquarters. [3] The sugar plantation was partially established on a large section of the Bugoma Forest, a critical habitat for the Uganda mangabey and home to an estimated 550 chimpanzees. [1] The coordinates of the factory are 1°15'09.0"N, 31°11'36.0"E (Latitude:1.252490; Longitude:31.193326). [4]

Social and environmental concerns

Forced evictions

In 2013, Hoima Sugar Limited forcibly evicted approximately 6,000 individuals from 1,300 acres in Kijayo, Buhaguzi County, Kikuube District, to establish a sugar plantation. These evictions displaced indigenous communities, including the Bakiga, Banyoro, and some Alur people, leaving them without compensation and forcing them into internally displaced persons' camps. [5]

Despite legal actions taken by the affected individuals seeking compensation for lost property and human rights violations, many continue to live in poor conditions without adequate support. As of 2019, reports indicated that some residents received as little as 30,000 Ugandan Shillings (approximately USD 8) per acre as compensation, which is insufficient for resettlement. [5]

The evictions have led to significant humanitarian challenges, including lack of access to clean water, healthcare, and education. The displaced families reside in makeshift shelters with inadequate sanitation, contributing to health issues such as malnutrition and disease outbreaks. [6]

In 2017, allegations emerged that local police forces were complicit in the forced evictions. Hoima District Police Commander Bernard Akankwasa was accused of deploying officers to assist Hoima Sugar Limited in expelling families from their land, despite a 2014 court order prohibiting such actions. Reports indicate that during these evictions, an infant died due to excessive use of force by the police. [7]

These events have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, highlighting the ongoing struggles of displaced communities in Uganda due to large-scale agribusiness operations. [8]

Deforestation

Map of Bugoma Forest, showing the area deforested by Hoima Sugar Limited for sugarcane plantation (2020-2023). Bugoma forest.png
Map of Bugoma Forest, showing the area deforested by Hoima Sugar Limited for sugarcane plantation (2020–2023).

Between 2020 and 2023, approximately 57 km2 (14% of its original area) of the Bugoma Forest was degazetted by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and cleared for sugarcane plantations by Hoima Sugar Limited. [9] [10]

In August 2020, NEMA granted an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) certificate to Hoima Sugar Limited for a project that included a sugarcane plantation, an eco-tourism site, and an urban center. [11] However, subsequent inspections revealed that the company had violated the approval conditions by deforesting protected areas and sites designated for eco-tourism. In September 2022, NEMA ordered Hoima Sugar Limited to halt further deforestation in these areas and to restore the degraded sections of Bugoma Forest. [12]

The deforestation of Bugoma Forest has had significant environmental impacts, including the loss of habitat for approximately 500 chimpanzees and other endangered species. Additionally, it has disrupted the livelihoods of local communities that rely on the forest for resources. [13]

Environmental organizations and civil society groups have condemned NEMA's decision and Hoima Sugar Limited's activities, arguing that the destruction of Bugoma Forest for sugarcane cultivation poses serious threats to biodiversity and contributes to climate change. [14]

Overview

The company is a medium-sized sugar manufacturer, established in 2016, with production capacity of 1,500 metric tonnes daily. The factory had signed up 450 out-growers as at May 2016, with that number expected to grow to 2,000 by 2017. The total work force at the company is projected to grow to 5,000, once all systems are operational. A thermal power co-generation facility is planned. The total investment is calculated at US$42 million. [15]

Ownership

The business is owned by Rai Holdings. [16] The family-owned group has a 70 percent shareholding in Kinyara Sugar Works in neighboring Masindi District and also owns West Kenya Sugar Limited, and Sukari Industries both in Kenya. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mabira Forest</span>

The Mabira Forest is a rainforest area covering about 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) in Uganda, located in Buikwe District, between Lugazi and Jinja. It has been protected as Mabira Forest Reserve since 1932. It is home for many endangered species like the primate Lophocebus ugandae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kampala–Jinja Highway</span> Road in Uganda

The Kampala–Jinja Highway is a road in Uganda, connecting the cities of Kampala and Jinja. Sometimes referred to as Kampala–Jinja Road, it is a busy road, with several towns, trading centers and other points of interest along the way. As of October 2016, a new, wider, four-lane dual carriageway expressway, the Kampala–Jinja Expressway, is proposed to be constructed south of the present highway to relieve traffic and complement existing transport infrastructure between Kampala and Jinja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kakira Sugar Works</span>

Kakira Sugar Works Limited, often called Kakira Sugar Works, is a leading sugar manufacturer in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budongo Forest</span> Forest in Uganda

The Budongo Forest in Uganda is northwest of the capital city Kampala on the way to Murchison Falls National Park and is located on the escarpment northeast of Lake Albert. It covers parts of Hoima and Kikuube. It is known for its former abundance of East African mahogany trees as well as being home to a population of chimpanzees. An exceptionally large mahogany tree is still found here and is more than 80 meters tall and some 20 meters in circumference. The forest covers 82,530 hectares and is a catchment for Lake Albert. It is managed by National Forestry Authority (NFA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugoma Forest</span> Forest in Uganda

The Bugoma Forest is a protected tropical forest that is situated southwest of Hoima and northeast of Kyenjojo towns, and east of Lake Albert, in the Hoima district of western Uganda. It was gazetted in the 1932 and came under the mandate of the National Forestry Authority in 2003. But it was expanded in 1965, 1968 and 1998. Its surface area is given as between 41,144 hectares (411.44 km2) and 65,000 hectares (650 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lubigi</span> Wetland on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda

Lubigi is a swampy wetland on the northern and western outskirts of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda.

The Hoima–Kampala Petroleum Products Pipeline (HKPPP) is a proposed pipeline to transport refined oil products from the Uganda Oil Refinery in Hoima to a distribution terminal near Buloba in Wakiso District, approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi), by road, west of Kampala's central business district.

Kwale International Sugar Company Limited (KISCOL), is a sugar manufacturer in Kenya.

The Kyenjojo–Kabwoya Road, in the Western Region of Uganda, connects the town of Kyenjojo in the Kyenjojo District with Kabwoya in the Hoima District. The road is part of the 238 kilometres (148 mi) Kyenjojo–Hoima–Masindi–Kigumba road corridor.

Kampala–Busunju Expressway is a planned road in the Central Region of Uganda. The road would connect the county's capital city, Kampala, to the town of Busunju in Mityana District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kampala–Hoima Road</span> Road in Uganda

The Kampala–Hoima Road is a road in the Central and Western regions of Uganda, connecting the cities of Kampala and Hoima. A section of this road, between Namungoona and Busunju, is being developed into the Kampala–Busunju Expressway.

Amuru Sugar Works Limited (ASWL) is a proposed sugar manufacturing company in the Northern Region of Uganda.

GM Sugar Uganda Limited, also GM Sugar Limited or GM Sugar, is a manufacturer of sugar in Uganda.

Nkusi Hydroelectric Power Station, also referred to as Nkusi Power Station, is a 9.6 MW (12,900 hp) hydroelectric power station in the Western Region of Uganda.

Bwendero Sugar Factory (BSF) is a sugar manufacturing establishment, under development in the Western Region of Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kikuube District</span> Ugandan administrative district

Kikuube District is a district in the Western Region of Uganda. It is named after its main municipal centre, Kikuube.

Kikuube is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Kikuube District and the site of the district headquarters.

Guramwa Central Forest Reserve is a protected area located in Western Uganda's Kibaale district. It is managed by the National Forestry Authority and was first gazetted in 1932 under the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003 with an area of 230 ha (0.9 sq mi), and was later re-gazetted in 1968 with an area of 1,550 ha.

Wambabya Central Forest Reserve is located in both Hoima District and Kikuube district in Western Uganda near the north-eastern border of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve. It was demarcated in 1932. It is operated by the National Forest Authority (NFA). It covers an area of 3,429 ha (13.24 sq mi).

Kagombe Central Forest Reserve is a 301-square-kilometre (74,000-acre) forest reserve located in Western Uganda's district of Kagadi and Nyamarundu sub county. It is also located in Uganda's Albertine Rift ecoregion area renowned for its rich biodiversity.

References

  1. 1 2 Reuters (5 June 2019). "Trees or sugar? Conservationists, traditional kingdom clash over Ugandan forest". The EastAfrican . Nairobi. Retrieved 5 June 2019.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ↑ Kidandi, Moses (2 May 2016). "Hoima Sugar Limited Expected To Employ Over 5,000 People". Kampala: Capital Radio Uganda. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Globefeed.com (24 June 2016). "Distance between Kiswaza Primary School, Hoima District, Western Region, Uganda and Hoima, Western Region, Uganda". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Location of Hoima Sugar Limited" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  5. 1 2 The 500 households evicted by Hoima Sugar Limited are helpless, Albertine Watchdog, March 2019
  6. ↑ The community in Kijayo evicted by Hoima Sugar Limited drinking polluted water, Albertine Watchdog, May 2019
  7. ↑ Police boss in trouble over illegal evictions, The Observer, September 2017
  8. ↑ Hoima Sugar Ltd, Housing and Land Rights Network
  9. ↑ Uganda's 158sq Bugoma forest succumbs to sugar factory, agriculture, PML Daily, April 2023
  10. ↑ Global Forest Watch
  11. ↑ Hoima Sugar Limited's sugarcane plantation in Uganda's Bugoma Forest, Banks and Biodiversity, 2023
  12. ↑ Hoima Sugar ordered to restore depleted part of Bugoma Forest, New Vision, September 2022
  13. ↑ Uganda environment authority greenlights clearing of Bugoma Forest, Mongabay, November 2020
  14. ↑ Uganda: Environmental appeal against granting Bugoma Forest Reserve to Hoima Sugar, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2023
  15. ↑ Presidential Press Unit (2 May 2016). "President calls for adoption of commercial agriculture". Entebbe: Uganda State House. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  16. ↑ Kivabulaya, Fredrick (2 May 2016). "President Museveni Launches New Hoima Sugar Factory". Kampala: Uganda Radio Network . Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  17. ↑ Nation Reporter (11 April 2015). "Why sugar miller Rai is set to be on many lips". Daily Nation . Nairobi. Retrieved 24 June 2016.


00°55′13″N30°24′41″E / 0.92028°N 30.41139°E / 0.92028; 30.41139

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.