Deal #1976

5,500 hectares of land were allocated from the Sempa Family, and 3,000 hectares out of public land in the same district for this project. However the land was occupied by illegal squatters, as it was not being used by the Sempa Family.

The Sempa family were not using the land. Illegal squatters were growing coffee, bananas, cassava and potatoes on some of the land.

Approximately 3600 hectares of natural forest was removed to plant oil palms- causing severe environmental degradation and water pollution. The operations occur on an island of Lake Victoria which has high biodiversity. Another article states that Initially, there were plans to degazette public forests but later instead 3000ha of public land (mainly grassland) and 3500ha land from private owners. Some of the land acquired was farmland, most was used by smallholders and planted with plantains, coffee and yams.