The Project target beneficiaries are communities in Hoima and Kasese Districts in the Western Uganda geographical region.
During the colonial period some communities were evicted from their lands in order to create the Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve. The removed people then turned to fishing as their main livelihood activity as they no longer had access to their ancestral lands.
The protected areas of the Wildlife Park have now been reduced in order to grant concessions for oil exploration seriously affecting again these communities. Negotiations between the Ugandan Government and the oil companies took place without sufficient, informed consultation with the communities living in the affected region.
This has led to allegations of illegal evictions and human rights abuses contributing to a growing risk of violent conflict. Ugandan law recognizes customary land tenure where land is owned and disposed of in line with customary regulations, which vary according to ethnic groups and regions.
