Kadaga also the Minister for East African Affairs told URN in Mutukula that it would be unfair to render the occupants homeless yet the majority have spent over 40 years on the land. Her remarks come at a time when the occupants have been given seven days to peacefully vacate the land or be forced out to pave way for the oil palm project.
The First Deputy Prime Minister, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga and Kyotera
district officials want the proposed eviction of 30,000 occupants of Sango Bay
land halted until a fresh assessment exercise is done. They describe the
proposed eviction because the settlers are being forced off the land without
compensation or proper relocation.
Measuring 247 square miles, the land covers Kakuuto, Kabira, Kyebe and
Kasasa sub-counties and Mutukula town council. It was formerly leased to the
defunct Sango Bay Sugar Estate Limited but reverted to the central government
following the expulsion of Asians in 1972.
The government repossessed it for the expansion
of the National Oil Palm Oil Project, which is being implemented under the
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. All titles on the
land were cancelled and the occupants asked to vacate to pave way for the
project.
Kadaga also the Minister for East African
Affairs told URN in Mutukula that it would be unfair to render the occupants
homeless yet the majority have spent over 40 years on the land. Her remarks
come at a time when the occupants have been given seven days to peacefully
vacate the land or be forced out to pave way for the oil palm project.
//Cue in: “Mbadde manyi……….
Cue out………..bana Uganda.”//
Agnes Namusiitwa, the Kyotera District LC V
Vice-chairperson, says that although the government had promised to give
compassionate compensation to all occupants to relocate to places of their
choice, none of the affected people has received it.
She notes that the matters concerning the
eviction of the occupants need thorough review since they are marred with a lot
of irregularities.
//Cue in: “For sure……….
Cue out……musanvu,”//
She further explains that there could be a hidden
agenda in evicting the occupants without compensating and relocating them as it
was promised by the government.
//Cue in: “Kati nze……….
Cue out….kukilabako,”//
David Mujaasi, the Mutukula Town Council LC III
chairperson, says that people’s crops and houses have been destroyed through
the illegal eviction yet they have not been compensated or relocated as had
been agreed in their joint meetings with the State Minister for Lands, Sam
Mayanja.
//Cue in: “Abamu bamaze……….
Cue
out………ebatekeratekera,”//
He adds that there is no proper plan for the affected
occupants on the land yet they have been given an eviction notice.
//Cue in: “Ezo sub-countie……….
Cue out……….ebadde nkulu,”//
Although the local leaders of the affected
villages and sub-counties say there are 30,000 people occupying the land,
Ignatius Tumwesiga, the Liaison Consultant of Sango Bay Estate, insists that
the government only considers 300 households as lawful occupants, which will be
compensated.
Godfrey Matte, the Assistant Commissioner of
Police, who is overseeing the vacant possession of the land, says the encroachers
were asked to return to their original homes. He adds that he would not
allow any encroacher to stay on the land after seven days they were given to
vacate.
Some of the homeless residents have resorted to crossing to Tanzania to
look for a place to stay while others are searching for land within Kyotera
district.
Davis Buyondo
Freelancer