Despite the negative impact, Hoima Sugar has been facing resistance from environmental activists for allegedly encroaching on Budongo forest, farmers have expressed their happiness following the establishment of the factory.
The sugar prices according to the farmers, have greatly increased allowing them to meet their day to day needs unlike before when the prices were really low an unpridictable.
The company maintains not encroaching the forest but instead said is using land donated by Bunyoro Kingdom with clear undertakings.
Recently, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema)issued the company an Environment Impact Assessment certificate, implying that they meet the required standards.
Nema however barred the investor from using up to 13sq miles of the land donated by the kingdom.
The company has not only expanded its wings to cover 163 villages in Kikuube and Hoima, but also come up with vast opportunities such as employment and market for the locals.
Hoima Sugar has so far registered a pool of 3,500 out-growers.
Rajasekaran Ramados, an agro engineer at Hoima Sugar Ltd, told Chimpreports that the company employs 567 men and women directly, and another 800 people indirectly.
“All our employees are from the local community,” Ramados said.
The out-growers too, extend employment opportunities to other locals in the community and the chain continues.
“We are putting up a clinic which will be expanded into a hospital within the complex.
The facility will be accessed by the population at a minimum charge,’ Ramados said.
With all these developments, the land value in a remote Kiswaza town has increased multiple times from only shs300,000 to Shs10m for a plot of 50ft by 100ft.
The township is also a bee-hive of activities ranging from petty food vending to large scale real estates.
For Justus Birungi, 56, a resident of Kuhenda, Kabwooya Sub-county in Kikuube, the company came as a blessing.
At first,Birungi did not have money but he benefited from Shs50 million capital support to cultivate his 36 acres of land.
Robert Mwesigwa,59, a farmer and also the chairperson of Kiswaza Village said,“I have benefited a lot; first at an individual level, I have been able to get lumpsum money that I had never got before,” he said.
Hoima Sugar, also undertakes corporate social responsibilities such as conducting routine medical camps, feeding learners and constructing roads.
Many locals have also been connected to electricity and tapped water. The company has improved a total of 47 roads within Hoima and Kikuube covering between 1km and 20km each.
