Archbishop Kazimba advocates for empowering local communities in Oil and Gas industry

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, His Grace Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, has called on oil companies operating in the Albertine Graben to ensure timely communication of information about existing opportunities in the oil and gas sector to local communities.

Dr. Kazimba emphasized that numerous individuals possess the capacity and desire to supply goods and services to the oil and gas sector, but are being marginalized due to a lack of appropriate and timely information about available opportunities.

Leading a team of Bishops from the Church of Uganda on a three-day tour of the region, Kazimba emphasized the importance of prioritizing communities in the Albertine Graben for supplying the sector with goods and services. He believes that this approach will contribute to transforming their lives, alleviating them from their current levels of impoverishment.

Furthermore, Kazimba urged the people of Bunyoro to position themselves strategically to benefit from the opportunities that will arise from the oil and gas sector. He encouraged locals to identify effective strategies that would enable them to derive direct and indirect benefits from the available oil resources.

In addition to urging the oil companies, Kazimba called on the government to assist local companies in enhancing their capacity to compete for contracts in the sector, in accordance with the National Local Content Policy. He emphasized the importance of supporting and developing local companies to create a level playing field and ensure their participation in the industry.

Responding to these concerns, Zakaria Lubega, the corporate affairs officer at CNOOC Uganda, acknowledged that they already prioritize local communities for opportunities, particularly in semi-skilled job roles.

Uganda announced the discovery of commercially viable oil deposits in the Albertine Graben region in 2006. Since then, the country has focused on the development phase of oil and gas, which involves constructing project facilities to support the extraction of Uganda’s resources. This phase presents significant employment opportunities for Ugandans seeking work.

The government has legally ring-fenced over 16 sectors exclusively for local companies. These sectors include transportation, security, food and beverages, hotel management and catering, human resource management, office supplies, fuel supplies, land surveying, clearing and forwarding, locally available construction materials, and civil works.

According to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), approximately 14,000 people will be directly employed by Ugandan companies, while about 45,000 people will be indirectly employed by contractors. Moreover, an additional 105,000 people will benefit from induced employment due to the demand for services to support the oil and gas sector.

URN