Oil Management And The Resource Curse In Uganda: A Case Study Of Hoima District

ABSTRACT

The study examined the relationship between oil management and the resource curse in Hoima District. The study was premised on three specific objectives: to analyze the relationship between planning for oil exploration/production and a resource curse in Hoima District, to examine the relationship between coordination of oil exploration/production and a resource curse in Hoima District and to assess the relationship between monitoring of oil exploration/production and a resource curse in Hoima District. The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional survey design where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. In this study, a total number of 140 respondents were expected. However, only 120 respondents returned the survey instruments, representing a response rate of 85%. The data was collected using questionnaires and interviews and analysis was done using Regression Analysis, Correlation Coefficients, One Way Analysis of Variance and Independent Sample Tests for the quantitative findings. Qualitative examination was done using Content and Thematic Analysis. The findings, where r = 0.421, p = 0.000 < 0.05, revealed that there is a positive relationship between planning for oil exploration/production and a resource curse in the oil producing areas in Uganda. The results for coordination for oil exploration/production and a resource curse in the oil producing areas in Uganda revealed that r = 0.378, p = 0.011 > 0.05, while the results for monitoring for oil exploration/production and a resource curse in the oil producing areas in Uganda revealed that r = 0.199, p = 0.006 < 0.05. The regression model was (F = 0.333, p = 0.000 < 0.05). All the independent variables including (β = 0.401, p = 0.001) for planning, (β = 0.378, p = 0.011) for coordination and (β = 0.214, p = 0.006) for monitoring significantly positively influenced the resource curse. The magnitudes of the respective betas suggest that the oil management most significantly predicted the resource curse in oil producing areas like Hoima. In conclusion, the residents were not contented with government’s failure to involve them in planning, coordination and monitoring process for the oil exploration and production. It was recommended that: the government should ensure that concrete strategies for planning, in line with international best practice on “combating the resource curse” are enshrined in the new legislative framework for oil. The government should also embark on developing a proactive information dissemination and coordination strategy that addresses the information needs of people at community level. There is also a need for sustained initiatives by the government in partnership with civil society, district taskforces and the private sector, to engage communities in dialogue on specific issues related to oil exploration and exploitation affecting local communities.