By Ariinda Twaikya, Bunyoro Correspondent.
Kampala, Uganda: Mr Twinomugisa Julius Camp Chairperson informed local online (Kikuube TV) and other media houses like New life Radio 96.2 FM that they used to be hired to work in gardens but most of them were in return not paid, others had rented in Kikuube Town but failed due to lack of income.
He further sought government officials need to act Accordingly since themselves are the ones in charge.
Twinimugisa said that The RT. Hon. Prime Minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja while at Kyangwali Refugee Settlement and Bukinda in 2021,October, halted all activities on the contested area but till today her directive wasn’t implemented.
He stated that, they tried as they could however after realizing that it’s beyond local leadership, contacted RDC who affirmed that, presidential directive is clear to returning natives on their ancestral land. These decided to remain at DC’s office awaiting feedback fromgovernment.
” Kyeya valley firm with five landlords where it’s said that we were resettled, we were told not to construct a permanent house for 15 years, No coffee plantation among others directives, We never wished to be all times in media but what happened to us is indeed saddening, if you reached in kyangwali, there many people who are suffering to an extent that, they can’t afford even reaching here. We can’t believe that chuncks of the contested land as per now is being hired for self will by OPM Officials. The said resettlement area has its landlords and we shall not do anything beyond this. We rrequest that president HE. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibihaburwa, Prime Minister and parliamentary reports and feedback be considered as to land demarcation on Bukinda-Katikara and Refugees land be separate as to presidential directive.
We are not on fertile land as allegedly said, and we had lived with these landlords of the kyeya valley firm who are now in central government to intercede our living on their land.
Over 70,000 households were evicted in areas of Bukinda, Ngurwe A, Ngoma, Katikara. We have been hearing that, the Minister of disaster and preparedness Hon Min Hillary Onek and State minister Anyakun Esther donated something’s to us people of Bukinda of which we don’t know there whereabouts” Said Twinomugisa Julius Camp Chairperson.
” Iam a Resident of Katikara commonly known as Ngurwe A where I was evicted, I came at Rdcs Office petitioning for in lawful eviction on allegations that we were on OPM land. in 1998 this land was demarcated and it was allocated as follows , Katikara was given 2 square miles, Bukinda 11square miles and Refugees camp 36 square miles Following the letter of 1960 by Bunyoro king Sir Tito Winyi to Her Majesty Queen of United kingdom and implemented by 1998 surveyed by Dr Nathan Batungi from Makerere technology consult where by no one of the hosts did encroach OPM land .
2013first phase of eviction was sighted at , Made on false Reports, on 3rd February 2016 , president Museveni wrote directing leaving people to be back to their ancestral land where atleast 22 Villages were taken back but 5 Villages remaining at kyangwali parish and in 2018 a deadly eviction was witnessed.
There’s around 3 Land titles One for kyeya Valley firm , Okwinobere Faustus and Muhwezi moreso in BwiziBwera” Said Masereka Yeseru.
Hon Min. Hillary Onek on the visit to Kikuube in March, 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
Presidential Statement.
Following a directive by HE Excellent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibihaburwa of the republic of Uganda.
“No eviction should be allowed to take place in a district without the consent and direct observation of the District Security Committee (DSC), chaired by the Resident District Commissioners/Resident City Commissioners and direct consultation with the Minister of Lands,” Museveni said in the directives” .