On 7th June 2019, a notice was issued through the press by Electricity Regulatory Authority acknowledging receipt of intended application for license from a company known as Bonang power and energy Ltd. Bonang is a South African energy firm that intends to generate and sale electricity from a hydro power plant proposed to be established near Murchison Falls in an area shared by Kiryandongo and Nwoya districts. The real location of the proposed power plant was revealed to be the same coordinates of the great natural resource in one of the national parks in Uganda that is Murchison Falls National Park and this is where the insight on the Murchison falls sprung from. Bonang power energy continued to extend the plan of undertaking the feasibility study in details and other actions resulting into the development of the above “rejected” power project. Bonang power and energy (pty) limited in the agreement, explains that the generated power was to be sold to the Uganda electricity transmission company limited and fed to all national grid.
However, despite the excuse given by the government of Uganda about the allegations concerning the issue of Murchison falls, over 4900 people protested the above proposal by writing as below;
Members of Association of Uganda tour operators downplayed the excuse of the government that the dam in Murchison falls is not a done deal. So they sat a press conference in Kampala and an online campaign entitled “Save Murchison Falls” and criticized the plan of converting Murchison falls dam into a power station to generate about 360 megawatts of power. All the tour operators under AUTO urged that the deal would result into a big blow to the tourism sector yet tourism is the biggest foreign exchange earner for Uganda’s economy.
The chairman of AUTO told reporters that tourism is one of the biggest sectors in Uganda and it accounts for 10% of the Gross Domestic Product and 24% of the foreign exchange inflow, meaning it is the single biggest foreign exchange earner of Uganda. He went on and said that waterfalls offer visitors an incomparable sight and experience, and that is why more efforts are needed to preserve Murchison Falls National Park for the future because it is among the most visited tourist destinations in Uganda, this is not because of wildlife since it can be found in other National Parks in Uganda but majorly due to Murchison Falls, it is where the longest river in the world “River Nile” goes through a narrow gorge of 7m wide, the sight of the falls is memorable.
Lilly Ajarova, Chief Executive of Uganda Tourism Board said “this is madness, who in their right mind would want the destruction of Murchison Falls? An iconic feature that is spectacular and none like it elsewhere”, she posted on Facebook. She said the ecosystem of Murchison Falls National Park has both endemic and endangered species that if destroyed will not only affect the Nation but the global community with species extinction, climate change among others. There are other options for the required development, Murchison Falls must not be destroyed.
Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom opposed government’s proposal to construct a hydro power dam in Murchison Falls National Park and Prime Minister Mr. Andrew Byakutaga wrote a letter to the chief executive officer of ERA that said “the park is a unique landscape with several components that are crucial for enhancing the social-ecological resilience of the people of Bunyoro and neighboring districts. Building a hydro power dam along River Nile within Murchison fall will disrupt the physio-chemical and biological processes of the river. The river and adjacent riparian landscapes host several flora, fauna and cultural landscapes revered by the people of bunyoro and used in several cultural and royal rituals the letter reads in part.
Mr. Byakutaga said the park has several sacred sites that are critical in the cultural identity of the kingdom, building a dam on the proposed site will affect Murchison Falls either through changes in the flow regime or sediment transfer, this will affect the flora and fauna and the site yet this is the main tourist attraction in the park.
Alluded to the above, many more people wrote for example ministers, conservationists, tour operators, political leaders, and hoteliers.
Ugandans rejoicing after Government halts proposed hydro power project on Murchison Falls
Later on, after two months, Uganda’s cabinet halted the proposed construction of the 360 megawatts power project on Murchison Falls. The Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Minister, Professor Ephraim Kamuntu disclosed the cabinet decision at the weekly cabinet briefing at government owned Uganda media center. The decision comes 2months after environmental activists launched the save Murchison falls campaign, which brought together political leaders, hoteliers, conservationists, and tour operators to ensure that the proposal doesn’t go through. This came after the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Uganda announced that a South African firm, Bonang power and energy limited had applied for a license to construct a hydro power dam on Murchison falls. Cabinet took decision at its latest sitting that there will be no dam construction at Murchison Falls, Kamuntu told AFP (Agency France Preese), and he continued and said that definitely we still need more electricity to power our expanding economy, but this project can go elsewhere not in the park.
About Murchison Falls National Park
This park is located 305km North of Kampala the Capital City of Uganda. It lies at the North end of the Albertine Region of the Rift Valley 46 km from Masindi town, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles in vast, palm dotted savannah. It was first gazetted as a Game Reserve in 1926 and as a National Park in 1952. It is Uganda’s largest and oldest Conservation Area hosting 76 mammal species and 451 bird species. It is bisected by the Victoria Nile which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall forming the world’s greatest waterfall. Murchison Falls is considered the most powerful waterfall in the world with colourful rainbows and variety of birds at the falls.