The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Nakasongola , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Local leaders in Nakasongola have rejected the directives of the State Minister for Lands on settling people on the Kyarubanga forest reserve.
In December 2019 President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered degazettement of Kyarubanga Forest reserve in Nakasongola district to settle landless households. At least 400 households were already occupying part of the land by the time Museveni okayed the degazettement.
The eight-square-mile forest reserve stretches to four sub-counties including Nakitoma, Lwabiyata, Lwampanga and Nabiswera.
However, there is tension on the land between the old and newly resettled households over the distribution of the land.
On 19th October, 2023 the Lands State Minister Sam Mayanja, some of the settlers and district leaders at Nakayonza trading center in Lwabiyata sub county met to resolve the matter.
In the meeting, Minister Mayanja explained that President Museveni was clear that the land be given to households that were already occupying it but not resettling new others there.
Minister Mayanja also disbanded a committee that was set up to resolve conflicts arising from the distribution of the land and instead ordered the State House Anti-Corruption to investigate district officials over the matter.
Now the District and Sub county leaders have vowed not to implement Minister Mayanja directives accusing him of escalating the tension and deciding on the matter without consultation.
Jamirah Nakiyimba, the Vice LC 3 Chairperson of Lwampanga town council says that on top of the households found there, the district resolved in good faith that other landless people who were affected by floods and evictions be resettled there.
Nakiyimba says that in her town council, 360 households were displaced by the floods and so far 36 households have been resettled at the forest reserve. She says that they are shocked to hear that Mayanja directed only a few households to occupy the vast land leaving others wandering in the community.
Livingstone Mwesigye, the LC 3 Chairperson of Wabinyonyi sub county says that during the meeting, the Minister listened to one side and made a biased decision on the matter.
Mwesigye adds that Mayanja also never consulted either the Resident District Commissioner and the District leaders before making the directives something that escalated the tensions between the two rival settlers.
Mwesigye also asked Minister Mayanja to apologize to Public Service Minister Muruuli Mukasa for making reckless statements against him that he had connived with the district to grab people’s land yet he was the one who appealed to the President to donate it to the squatters.
Sam Kigula, the LC 5 Chairman of Nakasongola district says that Museveni’s order to degazette the forest reserve was purposely to address historical injustices that left many Baruuli with no land and forced others to occupy Lake Kyoga shores before displacement. He adds that at least 2000 households are expected to resettle there and if there are complaints about allocations, the committee will address them but not as individuals wish.
Kigula says that a section of residents backed up by area Member of Parliament Bernard Kirya petitioned the High Court in Luwero over the same matter but it was resolved by the Judge that distribution of land be done as resolved by the district.
But Bernard Kirya, the Budyebo County Member of Parliament defends Minister Mayanja saying that his decision was right because district leadership had given the land to the wrong persons.
“Some of the land was being sold to people not affected by floods or evictions. Let only landless people that were there before the President’s direct benefit in the giveaway but not selling it,’’ says Kirya.
The District Security Committee resolved that Policemen patrol villages daily to avert more clashes after three people were injured and the houses burnt following Minister Mayanja’s directives.
***
URN
