Fight against land evictions dominates Nakasongola campaigns

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The fight against land evictions has dominated the parliamentary campaigns in Nakasongola district.

The majority of residents in the Nakasongola district are tenants on land owned by absentee landlords and public land. Several residents have faced evictions from landlords to pave way for the establishment of farms.

Others have become landless due to rising water levels of Lake Kyoga which submerged their homes and gardens leaving them displaced.

As a result, candidates for parliamentary seats have listed the fight against evictions as the major issue they intend to address once elected.

Lydia Nalujja, the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC candidate for Nakasongola district Woman Member of Parliament seat explains that earlier on, residents were misled not to buy land from landlords whereas others are poor.

Nalujja adds that some residents were hoodwinked to believe that the land belonged to them basing on tribe without educating them on legal frameworks and the Land Act.

Nalujja says that once elected, she will set up a legal aid office to only handle land-related cases and save the people from evictions without dialogue.

Bernard Ssekyanzi Kirya, the National Resistance Movement candidate for Budyebo County MP seat says that once elected, his major focus will be to lobby for the Land Fund to enable the residents to buy the land.

Ivan Kyeyune, the National Unity Platform candidate for Nakasongola County says that even people who settled on public land are being evicted by government officials who end up using the land for growing pine trees. Kyeyune has positioned himself as a fighter for those who face evictions from such officials.

Residents of Munami village in Lwampanga sub-county are among those affected by land evictions.

Hundreds of the residents were brutally evicted from land at Kasenyi landing site by Nakasongola Military Barracks and they relocated to Munami village.

Hassan Kajura, the LC I chairman of Munami says that the residents pushed for compensation from the Uganda People’s Defense Forces in vain.

Kajura adds that even where they relocated to, they were displaced by rising water levels of Lake Kyoga.

Kajura says that they see no reason to participate in elections if the government failed to compensate them or relocate them to another place.

Richard Awerere, a resident of Munami village says that he lost his land in 2014 and has no peace to date.

Awerere established a temporary house at Munami village where he hosts 16 children but recently they were hit by rising water levels from Lake Kyoga which left them displaced.

Sam Kigula, the LCV chairman of Nakasongola says that the district earmarked 500 acres at Kyarubanga forest reserve to resettle people affected by rising water levels and enable them to start a new life but there has been a delay to extend services by the Office of Prime Minister.

Kigula says that other tenants can only be helped through Land Fund programme initiated by the government.

At least 1,614 households are now landless in Nakasongola after they were displaced by rising waters in May this year at Lake Kyoga.

According to the Population and Housing Census 2014,  there over 181,795 people in Nakasongola.

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