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Kikuube, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Leaders in Kikuube are pleading with Hoima Sugar Limited to allow people who had encroached on their land in Bugoma forest reserve to first harvest their crops before they are discontinued from using the land.
Police backed by Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF soldiers last month invaded Bugoma central forest reserve and forcefully evicted more than 20,000 people that were doing illegal activities such charcoal burning, cultivation, harvesting timber among others on part of the Bugoma forest land that is being claimed by Hoima Sugar Limited.
It is alleged that the evictees who have since pitched camp at the offices of the Kikuube LC5 chairperson, raided the forest land after Hoima sugar limited leased it from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and started conducting various activities.
During the eviction, their crops were destroyed, houses torched and several bags of charcoal confiscated by the security operatives.
This was after Hoima Sugar protested the invasion of the people on its land that the management said was frustrating their efforts to utilize the land for sugar cane growing.
Buhaguzi member of parliament Francis Kazini wants Hoima Sugar to allow those who had planted crops like beans, rice and maize on the contested land to harvest before they are completely discontinued from using the land.
Vincent Alpha Opio, the Kikuube LC5 Vice Chairperson says it was very unfortunate for security officers to raid and destroy crops belonging to the evictees. He says the security personnel could have used other means but not violently evicting them.
Alice Asimire, the woman councilor for Kaseeta B parish in Kabwoya sub county says the condition under which the evicted people especially women are living in is precarious and calls for immediate government intervention to help avail them with relief food.
An official from Hoima Sugar limited who spoke to URN on condition of anonymity says they severally warned the people to voluntarily vacate the land in vain yet they wanted to use the land for sugar cane growing.
According to the source, the evicted people are being misled by some leaders in the district. Hoima Sugar Limited leased close to 22 square miles of the contested Bugoma Central Forest reserve land from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for sugarcane growing for 99 years.
However, the National Environment Management Authority-NEMA found that 13 of the 22 square miles, were unfit for a sugar plantation and recommended their preservation since it is a wetland and forest reserve.
As a result, NEMA allowed Hoima Sugar factory to cultivate sugarcane on the remaining 9.24 square miles covering the grassland, establish an urban center on 1.26 square miles, an eco-tourism centre on 1.97 square miles and restore 3.13 square miles of the forest reserve.
They also recommended the preservation of another 0.156 hectares for a cultural site and 6.17 square miles as a natural forest.
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