Earlier this month, Cabinet approved a feasibilioty study to be done in Murchison Falls National Park along Uhuru Falls, to determine the impact of a proposed Hydro-power dam constructed on the falls will have on the environment and the general eco-system of the conserved area.
The decision and the proposal from its inception has always been met by backlash from the the general public but the government has always hidden their intentions in the guise of having the country generate more electricity that will be used to drive the mushrooming industries.
Today, Parliament debated the report about this infamous proposal and scrutinized it even further.
Newly appointed Justice Minister Ephraim Kamuntu said that the feasibility study for the proposed dam will be done on Uhuru Falls, a seasonal kind of falls. This revelation prompted Speaker of the house Rebecca Kadaga to wonder how government can construct a project that needs constant supply of water on seasonal falls!
What followed was Parliament to unanimously disagree with the proposal. Kadaga has now referred the matter to the Committee on Natural resources for further scrutiny, and they report back to Parliament.
It should be noted the Murchison Falls National Park, the place where this dam is proposed to be constructed is the most visited park in Uganda by tourists who enjoy, among other attractions, the Falls that fall from a height of 42 meters.