Sam Kigula, the LC 5 Chairman of Nakasongola district says that Museveni’s order to degazette the forest reserve was purposely to address historical injustices that left many Baruuli with no land and forced others to occupy Lake Kyoga shores before displacement. He adds that atleast 2000 households are expected to resettle there and if there are complaints about allocations, the committee will address them but not as individuals wish.
The Local leaders in Nakasongola have rejected the
directives of the State Minister for Lands on settling people on the Kyarubanga
forest reserve.
In December 2019 President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered degazettement of
Kyarubanga Forest reserve in Nakasongola district to settle landless
households. Atleast 400 households were already occupying part of the land by
the time Museveni okayed the degazettement.
The eight-square-mile forest reserve stretches to four sub-counties
including Nakitoma, Lwabiyata, Lwampanga and Nabiswera.
However, there is tension on the land between the old and
newly resettled households over the distribution of the land.
On 19th October, 2023 the Lands State Minister Sam Mayanja, some of the
settlers and district leaders at Nakayonza trading center in Lwabiyata sub
county met to resolve the matter.
In the meeting, Minister Mayanja explained that President Museveni was clear that the land be given to households that were
already occupying it but not resettling new others there.
Minister Mayanja also disbanded a committee that was set up
to resolve conflicts arising from the distribution of the land and instead
ordered the State House Anti-Corruption to investigate district officials over the
matter.
Now the District and Sub county leaders have vowed not to
implement Minister Mayanja directives accusing him of escalating the tension
and deciding on the matter without consultation.
Jamirah Nakiyimba, the Vice LC 3 Chairperson of Lwampanga town
council says that on top of the households found there, the district resolved
in good faith that other landless people who were affected by floods and evictions be resettled there.
Nakiyimba says that in her town council, 360 households were
displaced by the floods and so far 36 households have been resettled at the
forest reserve. She says that they are shocked to hear that Mayanja directed
only a few households to occupy the vast land leaving others wandering in the community.
Luganda
// Cue in: “Tusaba n’obuwombefu…
Cue out;…buzi n’asalaawo.’’//
Livingstone Mwesigye, the LC 3 Chairperson of Wabinyonyi sub
county says that during the meeting, the Minister listened to one side and
made a biased decision on the matter.
Mwesigye adds that Mayanja also never consulted either
the Resident District Commissioner and the District leaders before making the directives
something that escalated the tensions between the two rival settlers.
Mwesigye also asked Minister Mayanja to apologize to Public
Service Minister Muruuli Mukasa for making reckless statements against him that
he had connived with the district to grab people’s land yet he was the one who
appealed to the President to donate it to the squatters.
Luganda
// Cue in: “ Minister Mayanja akomewo…
Cue out;…tebyali mateeka.’’//
Sam Kigula, the LC 5 Chairman of Nakasongola district says
that Museveni’s order to degazette the forest reserve was purposely to address
historical injustices that left many Baruuli with no land and forced others to occupy Lake Kyoga shores before displacement. He adds that atleast 2000 households are expected to
resettle there and if there are complaints about allocations, the committee will address them but not as individuals wish.
Kigula says that a section of residents backed up by area
Member of Parliament Bernard Kirya petitioned the High Court in Luwero over the
same matter but it was resolved by the Judge that distribution of land be done as
resolved by the district.
//Cue out; My demand …
Cue out;…Police.’’//
Luganda
//Cue in: “Njagala kubeera…
Cue out;…twanika muttaka.’’//
But Bernard Kirya, the Budyebo County Member of Parliament
defends Minister Mayanja saying that his decision was right because district
leadership had given the land to the wrong persons.
“Some of the land was being sold to people not affected by
floods or evictions. Let only landless people that were there before the President’s
direct benefit in the giveaway but not selling it,’’ says Kirya.
The District Security Committee resolved that Policemen patrol villages daily to avert more clashes after three people were
injured and the houses burnt following Minister Mayanja’s directives.
