Over 1,000 evictees who had pitched camp at the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner’s office have vacated the area in response to an ultimatum issued by the landlord. These evictees sought refuge at the RDC’s office in February this year protesting against the government’s prolonged delays in resettling them on their ancestral land.
The eviction dispute arose between the residents and the Kyangwali refugee settlement, revolving around the ownership of 36 square kilometers of land. The affected individuals were forcefully removed from their homes in Bukinda A and B, Bukinda 2, Kavule, Bwizibwera A and B, Kyeya A and B, Nyaruhanga, Kabirizi, Nyamigisa A and B, and Katoma villages, all situated in Kasonga parish, Kyangwali sub-county.
The initial eviction occurred in September 2013 when officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, supported by the police and the UPDF, displaced over 60,000 people from the contested land. These residents were subsequently compelled to settle in camps in Kyeya village, Kyangwali sub-county, where they have remained in dire conditions to this day.
In 2016 and 2018, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni issued directives to resettle the evicted residents on their ancestral land. Regrettably, these directives have yet to be implemented, leaving the affected individuals in a state of uncertainty. In a recent development, the landlord of the land on which the evictees had sought refuge near the Kikuube RDCs issued a one-month ultimatum for the evictees to vacate the area, citing his intention to develop the land.
In response, Tumusiime began depositing construction materials on the occupied site and urged the evictees to leave immediately. Given the absence of alternatives, the evictees had no choice but to comply and subsequently moved to a camp in the residences of Florence Natumanya, the Kikuube Woman MP, and Francis Kazini, the Buhaguzi Member of Parliament.
Tumusiime expressed deep concern over the one and a half years during which the evictees had camped at his office, enduring immense suffering. He assured the public that they are actively engaging with the relevant government authorities to find a lasting solution and facilitate the resettlement of the evictees on their land. Tumusiime commended the two Members of Parliament for providing temporary accommodation, allowing the government time to address the issue effectively.
Francis Kazini, the Buhaguzi Member of Parliament, voiced his disappointment with the government’s failure to alleviate the evictees’ suffering, emphasizing that the situation exceeds the capacity of local leaders. He highlighted the dire conditions faced by the evictees, including inadequate access to food, water, shelter, and medical services, expressing his belief that urgent action is needed.
Kazini called for the government to expedite the process of returning the evictees to their rightful land. Several affected individuals, including Birungi Asiimwe, Rose Ahebwa, and others who spoke to URN, conveyed their prolonged ordeal without basic necessities such as food, shelter, and medical care.
They expressed a sense of being neglected despite being Ugandans, emphasizing the urgency of addressing their plight. With no place to go, they implored the government to expedite the process of returning them to their ancestral land.
Peter Banura, the Kikuube district LCV Chairperson, expressed frustration, stating that as local leaders, they have done everything within their power to facilitate the resettlement of the evictees but have been let down by the government. He highlighted the dire situation faced by the evictees, emphasizing not only their lack of shelter but also their lack of access to food.
Banura appealed to the president to intervene in the matter, emphasizing that the Bukinda issue surpasses the jurisdiction of district leaders and ministers. Flora Natumanya, the Kikuube Woman Member of Parliament, drew attention to the suffering of the evictees, particularly women and children, who have been forced to sleep out in the cold.
She called for immediate intervention by the President to ensure their prompt resettlement. Natumanya reminded everyone that in January, during the commissioning of the first oil drilling rigs in the Albertine’s Kingfisher area in Kikuube, President Yoweri Museveni had directed the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to collaborate closely with his office to facilitate the return of the evictees to their land. However, to date, no significant progress has been made, leaving the evictees to endure ongoing hardships.
