UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
CONFLICTS RELATED TO OIL
The discovery of oil in the Albertine Graben carries the promise of increased
economic growth both at the regional and national level. So far, however, oil
exploration has mainly brought heightened mistrust, suspicion and tension, both
between citizens and Government and between ethnic communities. Participants
expressed fears about what the future might hold and whether the presence of
oil in the region should be considered a blessing or a curse. They quoted examples
of the effect the presence of oil has had in states like Nigeria and Libya, where the
resource has been used to enrich and empower the elite at the expense of local
communities. 9 In this section, a sample of conflict dynamics related to oil in the
western region is discussed.
CONFLICT BETWEEN CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
105. Conflict in Hoima over land
In Hoima District, especially in Kyangwali sub-county, tension has mounted over land
claims between powerful Government officials and local communities. Kyangwali
is in the middle of the Albertine rift’s biggest oil field, referred to as ‘Kingfisher’. It is
reported to be one of the largest oil wells in the basin, estimated to contain over 300
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