Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /usr/www/users/urnnet/a/story.php on line 43 Evicted Njeru Residents Stranded :: Uganda Radionetwork
Obbo claims that about 40 squatters were evicted without any notice and are out in the cold after their houses and crop gardens were razed down. He says some of the residents had occupied the land for over fifteen years.
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About 40 people evicted
from land designated for Magan Meghi Patel-MMP industrial park in Njeru
Municipality in Buikwe district have nowhere to call home.
The affected people
were evicted from Namabeere and Buwampa in Nyenga Division on June 10 and 11th
2019. President, Yoweri Museveni launched the construction of the industrial
park in May this year on a piece of land measuring 1000 acres.
Acres of land have been
cleared in the area with the exception of a few sugar cane plantations. The
area LC I Chairperson, Peter Obbo says he is struggling to find new homes for the
affected residents.
Obbo claims that about 40 squatters were evicted
without any notice and are out in the cold after their houses and crop gardens
were razed down. He says some of the residents had occupied the land for over
fifteen years.
//Cue in: “Mazima ekinenyamiza…
Cue out: …nabo family nene”//
Obbo says despite writing to various offices seeking government
intervention no official has visited the area to ascertain what is on the
ground. Our reporter visited Namabeere
and found Rosemary Misanya, a single mother of eight setting up two temporary rooms
behind the LCI chairperson’s house.
She says they were surprised to see tractors descending on
their homes without any warning. Misanya says she borrowed Shillings 2 million
to hire the land next to her and invested the remaining money in the farm,
which was destroyed.
//Cue in: “Emmere yasayiibwa…
Cue out: …sikyayina buyambi bwonna”//
Rita Nekesa, a form seven pupil at Minso primary school, says
she is about to make a month at home without attending school because of what
befell her family.
She explains that she had already spent a week at
home waiting for school requirement before her uniform and books were buried
during the demolition of their house.
The
village chairperson, Peter Ocheng, says she lost
tomatoes, cassava, maize and banana plantations to the eviction. He says
pleaded for one month to harvest his food in vain.
//Cue in: “Bwetwaali e wamuyindi…
Cue out: …nga annamu ettaano”//
Our efforts to talk to MMP industrial park on
the matter didn’t yield any results as none of the officials at the site office
was willing to talk to our reporter.
However, the Njeru Municipal Mayor, Yasin Kyazze says the park
officials only catered for landlords and ignored the tenants.
He says he had an engagement with some of the tenants and
advised them not to accept compensation without the knowledge of his office.
