Connect with us

DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Kiryandongo land eviction saga takes new twist as District Leadership defy Museveni on resettling victims

Published

5 years ago

on

Victims of an unprecedented land fraud that has allegedly seen over 35,000 people evicted from government land in Kiryandongo will have to postpone their celebrations after President’s directive to have them resettled was defied by the district leadership.

Joseph Walekula, the leader of the group that claims to have been rendered homeless as a result of government giving out their land to two investment companies – Agilis, owned by an American agricultural investor and Kiryandongo Sugar, says he had led a group of over 100 people to Kampala to meet the State Minister for Lands Persis Namuganza on Tuesday 25.

“At the time of the meeting, she was scheduled to meet with the President, and we briefed her with all the documentary and pictorial envidance,” explained Walekula with loads of disappointment in his voice. Later on in the day, Walekura says ” The Minister called and informed us that the President had received our concerns and was greatly perturbed by the occurrences. The president thus ordered for an immediate attention to the matter to find solutions to the problem.”

On Wednesday 26th, an impromptu meeting was called to address the matter at the office of the Prime Minister.

The Meeting which was Chaired by General Moses Ali was among others attended by Lands Minister Beti Olive Namisango Kamya, State Minister for Lands, Persis Namuganza,Internal Affairs Minister General Jeje Odongo, some officials from the Ministry of Security, and others from the Ministry of Relief and disaster preparedness among others.

In the meeting, the victims were accorded audience to present their grievances, which were to shocking to the honourable Ministers. Convinced by the Victims about their plight, the meeting resolved that immediate attention should be given the matter and thus ordered among others;

That the Victims be resettled to any other place and be given all due facilitation in form of food and essential goods for their livelihood for one month as government seeks to find a permanent solution.

That further evictions be halted as fresh guidelines are introduced to guide future business following an appropriate mechanism that would guarantee a peaceful well laid resettlement plan.

It was also resolved that the group be given ample Security as they raised fears over their safety on return to Kiryandongo. The officials in attendance from the Security Ministry were tasked to see to it that this recommendation gets implemented.

The Ministry of Relief and Disaster Preparedness offered to accommodate the victims at Center Dip land which is under the refugee commission in Kiryandongo.

The group were given 200 bags of Rice, 200 bags of rice and 100 saucepans to feed on while in the camp that would be set up by the line Ministry. They were given some money to meet their transport costs and asked to return to Kiryandongo and wait for the items to be delivered to them at the agreed camping site.

On their return however, the group were dismayed to see that nothing was happening in line of the Kampala recommendations and upon inquiring from Minister Namuganza, they were told that there had been a change in the program and thus they needed to wait for any further communication.

They have since been blocked  From accessing the land which  had been offered to them to set  their camps pending a permanent solution from the Center Government.

“We have been informed by the Chairmen LC 1 that he has received orders from above to prevent us from accessing the land that we were supposed to occupy as per the directive from Kampala,” Explained Emmanuel Agarubanda, one of the victims.

The group accuses the district leadership of trying to sabotage their efforts of getting back to their normal life.

“The leaders at the district have deliberately told lies to the officials in Kampala because they too are implicated in these illegal evictions. They are the very people who are collaborating with the land grabbers in exchange for monetary gains,” explained Walekula.

The group also vowed to fight untiringly until they will get Justice even when it’s very risky fighting with the big men who have both wealth and influence in their armouries.

“They are accusing us for going to Kampala without involving them yet they have frustrated our efforts for a long time. We are collecting signatures and more evidence so we can go back to Kampala and prove our claim and also expose their lies,” said Walekula.

The RDC of Kiryandongo District, Peter Debele has however informed this website that the leaders of this group are scammers whose only aim is to defraud the government and the investors for money. He said that most of the people claiming to have been evicted are actually the same people that have been compensated undeservedly more than once.

“They are crooks who have been scheming to get money unscrupulously from investors using any possible means available available. We have documentary evidence to attest to the same and we shall not have their way just like that,” vowed the President’s envoy from Kiryandongo.

The RDC also faulted some political leaders for trying to create tension and fear in the area by instigating land rows in the district. He said that some of these people are intentionally mobilised by some politicians as a way of fighting others, adding that there have not been any such evictions in the district as alleged by the media in Kampala.

This comes after the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga coming out to decry the rampant evictions in the District on Tuesday 25th February, doubting reports by some officials at the District which claimed that the victims are people who had settled there after the investors had already taken up the land in question.

“If you say these people occupied the land without the due process, where was government when they were construction 14 schools, churches on the land,” asked the Speaker during a House session on Tuesday.

 

Source: Watchdog Uganda

Related posts:

Land grabbers are ‘too powerful’, defied COVID-19 lockdown directives on land eviction – Gov’t As the court starts to hear a case filed against Kiryandongo Sugar Limited, president Museveni offers to compensate forced eviction victims Outspoken natives are facing persecution for resisting land eviction in Kiryandongo district A senior lands officer is arrested in connection to the Kiryandongo district land grab saga. Breaking Alert! Uganda Police Nets a middleman linked to the Kiryandongo district land grab saga
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: Buganda Road Court grants bail to 15 stop EACOP activists after 30 days in prison.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

December 11, 2024

By

By Witness Radio team.

The Magistrate at Buganda Road Court has granted non-cash bail to 15 stop EACOP activists from Kyambogo and Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Universities. They spent 30 days in detention at Luzira Maximum Security Prison on charges of common nuisance.

After the defense lawyers successfully applied for bail, on 10th December, the trial magistrate, Her Worship Nankya Winnie, granted a non-cash bail of 500,000 Uganda Shillings (approximately 136.50 USD) for each activist and their sureties.

The hearing of the bail application for the EACOP activists flopped yesterday. It was adjourned after it was reported that the then-presiding magistrate, Her Worship Sanula Nambozo, had been transferred to another duty station and replaced by Her Worship Nankya Winnie.

The accused activists are all young students from the universities mentioned above. The students include Simon Peter Wafula, Gary Wettaka, Martin Sserwambala, Erick Ssekandi, Arafat Mawanda, Akram Katende, Dedo Sean Kevin, Noah Katiti, Oscar Nuwagaba, Oundo Hamphrance, Bernard Mutenyo, Nicholas Pele, Shadiah Nabukenya, Shafiq Kalyango, and Makose Mark.

They were arrested in early November 2024 for protesting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The EACOP project, a major oil pipeline, has been controversial due to its potential environmental impact, including the risk of oil spills and deforestation, and the alleged human rights violations associated with its construction, such as forced evictions and land grabbing.

Despite the risks, the activists marched to Uganda’s Parliament to meet the Speaker and raise concerns about the EACOP project. The peaceful march reiterated numerous concerns raised by civil societies and the European Parliament about the project’s negative impacts.

The EACOP project, which will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine region to Tanzania’s Tanga seaport, has been criticized for delayed compensation for affected persons and secretive agreements. The potential impact on the environment and human rights is a cause for concern.

On 11th November, the accused were charged with common nuisance. Section 160 (1) of the Penal Code Act states that anyone charged with common nuisance is liable to one-year imprisonment on conviction. This charge, frequently imposed against individuals peacefully protesting in Uganda, has notably been used against Stop EACOP activists. While common nuisance addresses acts causing inconvenience or disruption to the public, it is crucial to emphasize that the accused were engaged in peaceful protest, causing no harm or disturbance.

The prosecution alleges that on 11th November 2024, the accused gathered at Parliamentary Avenue, peacefully expressing their dissent and causing no harm. Yet, they were charged with common nuisance, which seems unjust given their peaceful protest. It’s important to note that their protest was non-violent and aimed at raising awareness about the potential negative impacts of the EACOP project.

The court has adjourned the case to 16th January 2025 for a hearing.

Related posts:

Buganda Road Court will hear a bail application for 15 EACOP activists today. Breaking: The Bail Application for the 15 EACOP Activists flops for the second time, as the trial magistrate is reported to have been transferred. A bail application for the 15 EACOP activists failed to take off, and they were remanded back to Prison. Breaking: 15 Anti-EACOP Activists have been charged with common nuisance and remanded to Luzira prison. Breaking: Mwanga II Court grants bail to two defenders and a Project Affected Person (PAP).1
Continue Reading

DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: The Bail Application for the 15 EACOP Activists flops for the second time, as the trial magistrate is reported to have been transferred.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

December 10, 2024

By

By Witness Radio team.

A bail application for the 15 EACOP activists from Kyambogo and Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Universities currently on remand at Luzira Maximum Prison on charges of common nuisance has flopped for the second time due to the absence of the presiding magistrate.

The prosecution stated that the bail application could not proceed because the presiding magistrate, Her Worship Sanula Nambozo, had been transferred to another court. As a result, the case file was allocated to a new magistrate, Her Worship Nankya Winnie. She rescheduled to hear the bail application for today, October 10th, 2024, at 9 a.m. EAT.

The bail application for the 15 activists has faced yet another setback, marking the second failed attempt.

This delay in the bail application process means that these young students continue to be held in remand at Luzira Maximum Prison, a situation that is undoubtedly taking a toll on them. On November 16th, 2024, the bail hearing was disrupted due to the absence of two student activists, Wafula Simon and Kalyango Shafik. During that court session, the prosecution informed the court that both individuals were unwell, suffering from red eyes, and had been placed in isolation at the prison hospital.

The activists on remand, all young students, include Simon Peter Wafula, Gary Wettaka, Martin Sserwambala, Erick Ssekandi, Arafat Mawanda, Akram Katende, Dedo Sean Kevin, Noah Katiti, Oscar Nuwagaba, Oundo Hamphrance, Bernard Mutenyo, Nicholas Pele, Shadiah Nabukenya, Shafiq Kalyango, and Makose Mark.

The 15 were arrested in early November 2024 for protesting against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The EACOP project, a major oil pipeline, has been a subject of controversy due to its potential environmental impact and the alleged human rights violations associated with its construction.

Despite the risks, the activists marched to Uganda’s Parliament to meet the Speaker of Parliament and raise concerns about the EACOP project. Their persistence in the face of adversity is truly inspiring.

The EACOP project, which will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine region to Tanzania’s Tanga seaport, has been criticized for delayed compensation for affected persons and secretive agreements. The potential impact on the environment and human rights is a cause for concern.

On November 11th, the accused were charged with common nuisance. Section 160 (1) of the Penal Code Act states that anyone charged with common nuisance is liable to one-year imprisonment on conviction. The charge of common nuisance is often used in cases where individuals are accused of causing inconvenience or disruption to the public, but it is important to note that the accused were peacefully protesting and causing no harm.

The prosecution alleges that on November 11th, 2024, the accused gathered at Parliamentary Avenue, peacefully expressing their dissent and causing no harm. Yet, they were charged with common nuisance, a charge that seems unjust given their peaceful protest.

The third attempt for the bail application of the 15 activists has been rescheduled for hearing today at 9 a.m. EAT before Her Worship Nankya Winnie of the Buganda Road Court.

Related posts:

Buganda Road Court will hear a bail application for 15 EACOP activists today. A bail application for the 15 EACOP activists failed to take off, and they were remanded back to Prison. Breaking: 15 Anti-EACOP Activists have been charged with common nuisance and remanded to Luzira prison. Breaking: 15 Anti-EACOP Activists Arrested in Kampala While Marching to Parliament Breaking: Mwanga II Court grants bail to two defenders and a Project Affected Person (PAP).1
Continue Reading

DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Buganda Road Court will hear a bail application for 15 EACOP activists today.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

December 9, 2024

By

By Witness Radio team.

A bail application for the 15 EACOP activists from Kyambogo and Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Universities currently on remand on charges of common nuisance will take off today.

On November 16, 2024, attempts to apply for bail for the 15 students flopped due to the absence of two activist students in court.

The prosecution informed the court that Wafula Simon and Kalyango Shafik were sick and suffering from red eyes. They were placed in an isolation room in the prison hospital, thus causing a setback to earlier bail application attempts.

The activists on remand, all young students, include Simon Peter Wafula, Gary Wettaka, Martin Sserwambala, Erick Ssekandi, Arafat Mawanda, Akram Katende, Dedo Sean Kevin, Noah Katiti, Oscar Nuwagaba, Oundo Hamphrance, Bernard Mutenyo, Nicholas Pele, Shadiah Nabukenya, Shafiq Kalyango, and Makose Mark.

They were arrested in early November 2024 for protesting against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project in Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The activists, undeterred by the risks, were marching to Uganda’s Parliament to meet the Speaker of Parliament and raise concerns about the EACOP project, including the continued gross human rights violations/abuses, the significant threat it poses to the environment, and the criminalization of the mega project’s critics.

The EACOP project will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine region to Tanzania’s Tanga seaport. The project has been criticized for delayed compensation for affected persons and secretive agreements.

On November 11, the accused were charged with common nuisance. Section 160 (1) of the Penal Code Act states that anyone charged with common nuisance is liable to one-year imprisonment on conviction.

The prosecution alleges that on November 11, 2024, the accused gathered at Parliamentary Avenue, peacefully expressing their dissent and causing no harm, yet they were charged with common nuisance. They were accused of causing disruption and inconvenience by holding an unauthorized demonstration on the road while displaying placards and banners opposing the oil pipeline.

The bail application for the 15 activists will be presented before Her Worship  Sanula Nambozo the Grade One Magistrate of Buganda Road Court.

Related posts:

Some of the 15 activists standing in the court dock.
A bail application for the 15 EACOP activists failed to take off, and they were remanded back to Prison. Breaking: 15 Anti-EACOP Activists have been charged with common nuisance and remanded to Luzira prison. Mubende Land Grab: Anxiety as court finally fixed a date to hear bail application for seven Formasa victims Mubende Land Grab: Judge declines to hear bail application, sends suspects back to prison Breaking: 15 Anti-EACOP Activists Arrested in Kampala While Marching to Parliament
Continue Reading

Resource Center

Legal Framework

READ BY CATEGORY

Facebook

Newsletter

Subscribe to Witness Radio's newsletter



Trending

Subscribe to Witness Radio's newsletter