The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Labwor county MP Michael Ayepa has accused his Ngora County counterpart of inciting violence and promoting land grabbing in Abim district. Ayepa says Abala has incited fellow Iteso from Serere, Amuria and Ngora who settled in a Forest reserve to attack Uganda Wildlife Authority officers who were sent to the area to carry out an eviction.
Uganda Wildlife Authority on December 15, embarked on the eviction of over 780 people from 60 square km of Moru Alokwangat game reserve which straddles Abim, Kotido and Napak districts. The encroachers are reportedly from neighbouring Teso districts.
According to Ayepa, the encroachers were given more than one year to relocate following the opening of boundaries of the reserve by UWA. He however, says Abala has used his partners in Abim to conduct a campaign of disinformation and mobilized the people to resist the eviction by attacking UWA officers and burning huts to make it appear like they are being attacked and persecuted.
He says Abala and the Kumi Municipality MP Silas Aagon are manipulating the situation to gain political capital ahead of 2021. But he denied persecution of Iteso people saying that the two communities live side by side with the Karamojong in Abim.
Ayepa was speaking to journalists this morning at Parliament alongside the Abim district chairperson Jimmy Ochero and the Kotido RDC Peter Logiro. Ochero said that as far as he is concerned, they know people are vacating the land and no one is claiming that the reserve is his land. He says it’s unfortunate that leaders are meddling in the lawful eviction by UWA.
But Ngora County MP David Abala says he does not own any piece of land in Abim. He says his only interest is the fact that there are people from Ngora, Serere and Amuria who are affected and being mistreated in an eviction process.
According to Abala, the accusations against him are politically motivated.
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