Deal #3017 Version #58278

At least 22,500 Ugandans were forced from their homes to make way for a British timber company, the aid agency Oxfam said in a report. These evictions occurred in 2010 to the Kiboga and Mubende residents.

The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the independent accountability mechanism for the IFC, was involved in the establishment of a mediated agreement between the Mubende community and the company. The agreement commits the company to work closely with the community, while the community has agreed to respect NFC’s legal rights to the land and activities on the land. The agreement has been implemented since July 2013. An agreement is still to be established between the company and the community members in Kiboga District. The Mubende community has established a cooperative (Mubende Bukakikama Cooperative Society) which will receive financial and other support from NFC. The cooperative had bought 202 hectares, with 160 hectares for agriculture (vegetables, beans and potatoes) and the remaining land for housing. The cooperative has received training from the Uganda Cooperative Alliance and supported by Oxfam.

A joint development forum facilitates the identification of development projects for implementation by the company and the Mubende community. Development projects identified include access to water by the community and income generation projects. The company states that it will build schools and clinics as part of its community development program.