During a meeting with the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Lillian Aber, the leaders said the delays to resettle the displaced persons where largely to blame on the failure by government to involve local leaders in the resettlement process. Because of this they say government has been making errors in some of its decisions.
Leaders in Kasese district have blamed the government for not
involving them in the plans of resettling the internally displaced persons (IDP) who
have been camped in Muhokya camp since 2020.
The leaders accuse the Office of the Prime Minister of intentionally sidelining them in the procurement process of land
that the government claims to have purchased for the resettlement purpose.
In 2022, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja ordered the Minister of Luweero-Rwenzori Affairs and local
leaders in the district to identify land that the government would buy for the IDPs.
A year later, the government said it had identified more than 200
acres in Bwenanule Cell, Muhokya Town Council, where more than 200 affected
people would be resettled.
However, in 2024, the government halted
the resettlement process following contestation over the rightful ownership of the land, with
current occupants seeking legal redress and claiming ancestral ownership.
Another
group asserts they hold legitimate ownership documents.
During a meeting with the
Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Lillian Aber,
the leaders said the delays to resettle the displaced persons were largely to
blame on the failure by the government to involve local leaders in the resettlement
process. Because of this, they say the government has been making errors in some of
its decisions.
The Kasese District Vice-Chairperson, Jerevesious Monday Bwambale, noted that with existing conflicts
over ownership, it would be better if the government considered another place.
Monday advises the government to always engage
local leaders in matters that are supposed to be implemented at local levels.
//Cue in: “The land that..
Cue out: …the whole process.”//
Lt. Joe Walusimbi, the Kasese
Resident District Commissioner, said that both political and security offices
were not involved in the procurement process of the land, leaving many
background checks undone.
Aber said she
had taken the matter very seriously, noting that a team would be dispatched to Kasese
to meet leaders, and if the land has issues, the government must urgently look for
another place.
She noted that her ministry cannot allow the IDPs to stay in the camp any longer.
Basaija is a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU-Mukono) holding a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication.
He is a currently pursuing a fellowship in Gender Communications at Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications Nairobi, Kenya and expected to graduate in 2025.
He also boosts of numerous training's in the journalism arena.
Before joining URN, he had served as documentation support personnel, radio presenter and a news editor.
