Righting Resource-Curse Wrongs in Uganda: The Case of Oil Discovery and the Management of Popular Expectations
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Date
2011
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC)
Abstract
This paper discusses the management of expectations associated with the recent discovery of
commercializable oil in Uganda. Our motivation is simultaneously theoretical and pragmatic.
Theoretically, resource abundance oftentimes begets a natural resource-curse, that is, the
tendency for resource-rich countries to attain poorer developmental outcomes than resourcepoor
countries (Auty, 1993; Collier et al, 2004). Practically, oil development in Uganda appears
set to create winners and losers. Four categories of winners are spelt out in Uganda’s Oil and
Gas Policy – the central government; the oil companies; the district local governments of the oilrich
areas; and the land owners. The oil-rich lands have not been nationalized to make all
Ugandans winners. Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom (hereafter: ‘Bunyoro Kingdom’) also complains that
it has been left out. Yet, it has a historical and cultural claim over the oil-rich lands. Sections of
the local community, whose environment could be contaminated by oil-spills, are also
concerned that no context-specific environmental safeguards have been developed.
Description
Keywords
Resource-Curse Wrongs, Oil Discovery, Management
Citation
Kiiza, J., Bategeka, L., & Ssewanyana, S. (2011). Righting resources-curse wrongs in Uganda: the case of oil discovery and the management of popular expectations.