Ugandans evicted to make way for oil refinery

Jennifer Makune lives in the Kabaale village and relies on farming her land for income, however, an oil discovery in the Kabaale region means Makune and thousands of farmers in her situation will face eviction.

"My land was measured in my absence, it wasn't till later when I realised how much it had been underestimated. When I raised the issue, I was told they could not come back," Makune said.

Nearly 8,000 people in total will be evicted from their homes and farms to make way for the refinery.

Other people will face relocation or receive compensation, although farmers like Makune are worried whether the authorities will compensate them well enough for the property they will lose.

The Ministry of Energy is set to build a refinery for some of the oil production in Uganda using 29 sq km of land, the size of 3,500 football pitches, which will include an airstrip, shopping malls and flats.

The Petroleum Exploration and Production Department (PEPD), the organisation responsible for the refinery project, is set to complete the first phase by 2015.