Hima Cement to return illegally-acquired land in Tororo

Hima Cement Ltd has agreed to surrender back over 30 acres of land it illegally acquired in Mwello, Tororo, Uganda, according to The Observer. The company’s Managing Director, Nicolas George, said the company will ensure the residents will have their land returned.

Earlier this week, Mwello residents petitioned the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Land Probe Commission, accusing Hima of coercing them through its agents, Optima Mines Consultancy Ltd, into selling their land at a cheap price. The agents, operating under Optima Mines Consultancy Limited, allegedly told the residents that Hima was in possession of an exploration licence that granted them rights to acquire land in the area. The former commissioner of geological survey and mines, Edward Kato, told the commission that the exploration licence he awarded to Hima did not grant them rights of land acquisition. Hima had explored granite stones in Mwello along the Mwello rock.

Ms Bamugemereire said her legal team will meet with Hima’s legal team to see how to implement its decision to return the land.