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Kikuube, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hilary Obaloker Onek has clashed with Kikuube district officials over his directives to chase people who were evicted from Kyangwali refugee settlement from the office of the Resident District Commissioner.
The affected family members have pitched camp outside the RDC’s office since Monday last week demanding the intervention of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to help them to return to their land. The group was evicted by the office of the prime minister in 2013 to pave way for the expansion of Kyangwali refugee settlement from 50 to 70 square miles.
The over 1500 people are part of the 10,000 people from Bukinda parish in Kyangwali sub-county, Kikuube district who were settled on eight square miles of land in Kyeeya and Busanga villages in Kasonga parish, following their forceful eviction from Bukinda.
According to the affected residents, each family received 2.5 acres of land in Kyeeya and Busanga villages, which they say doesn’t favour agriculture, their man stay activity. They also claim that President Museveni later observed that they were illegally evicted and should be allowed to return on their land.
On Wednesday afternoon, Minister Onek was expected to meet the affected persons at Kikuube RDC’s office but he instead ordered police to disperse them. Onek held a meeting at the district council hall with Kikuube district officials including the Resident District Commissioner Amlam Tumusiime, LCV chairperson Peter Banura, his executive and officials from OPM.
However, some leaders and Members of Parliament snubbed the meeting, saying that the minister was meant to listen to the pleas of the affected persons and not address the leaders. During the meeting, Onek told the district officials that the evictees have no land in Bukinda and advised them to go back to the land where the government resettled them.
He ordered security to investigate claims that there are some officials hiring the Bukinda land for possible prosecution. He accused area MPs and councillors among others of mobilizing the evictees because of their political interests.
Onek ordered police to find all possible means to chase the evictees from the RDC’s office. He ordered Vicente Mwesigye, the Albertine Regional Police Commander and Richard Asiimwe, the Kikuube District Police Commander to mobilize the force to ensure that people move away from the RDC office if they refuse to go voluntary.
He also directed that they should not be given any relief aid unless they are back on the land that was allocated to them. The minister’s directives did not go down well with the area leaders. Vicente Opio, the Kikuube district LCV Vice-chairperson asked the minister to deliver his message to the affected persons in vain. He instead directed the RDC to do so. Opio accused the minister of issuing unrealistic orders that would instead cause more chaos.
Peter Banura, the Kikuube LCV chairperson wondered why the minister would defy the orders of Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to meet the affected persons and give them relief food. He also noted that the order to disperse the affected persons forcefully was inhuman.
Florence Natumanya, the Kikuube District Woman MP who boycotted the meeting, described the minister as a coward, adding that his failure to meet the affected people was a disappointment. She advised security agencies to handle the matter with care, arguing that as leaders they are not ready to support the harassment of the residents without listening to their concerns. The RDC has promised to hold a security meeting this week to find a way forward on the matter.
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