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Kiryandongo land evictions force children out of school

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Hundreds of children have dropped out of school after the demolition of community schools established in disputed land in Kiryandongo District.

Some of the schools have been rendered non-functional.

While the children have been home since 2019, their parents are now trapped in the middle of gardens belonging to three multi-national companies – Agilis Partners, Kiryandongo Sugar Ltd and Great Season SMC Ltd – who have allegedly evicted people from the disputed land.

The ongoing disputes are happening on abandoned national ranches, which have for long been settled and farmed by people, who came to the area fleeing from war and natural calamities in neighbouring areas.

The local population claim they are being displaced without notice. As a result, it has caused untold suffering to more than 35,000 families residing in the disputed territory, which measures approximately 9,300 acres.

The evictees now live in makeshift structures at dozens of camps.

However, the former Kiryandongo Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Peter Debele, said: “Encroachers took advantage of the land and settled on the vast fertile ranches’’.

“They went there on their own. So, the government has come out and allocated the land for serious farming activities,” he told this newspaper in February 2020.

But our investigation established that a lot has since changed. For instance, many children affected by the dispute are no longer going to school as their parents wallow in abject poverty. Majority of the evictees cannot afford two meals a day or send their children to schools.

On Monday,  we visited Spark Settlement Camp to examine the plight of out-of-school children. Ms Evelyne Nabokonde, 36, said her eldest son, Sam Majaki, dropped out of school in 2018.

The 15-year-old was among 450 pupils schooling at Alokolum Community School before the unending evictions that have left the Catholic-founded school deserted.

“The school was closed when Majaki was in Primary Three because of the eviction. Right now, all the children who were studying there are no longer going to school,” the mother-of-five says.

Some 27 million children are out of school in conflict zones, according to a September 18, 2017 United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund report. Focusing on the importance of education for children who have been forced from their homes by conflict and disasters, the report notes that failure to provide learning opportunities for uprooted children has profound consequences for individuals and nations.

Demolitions

Residents and human rights activists say tractors started pulling down schools, churches, banana plantations and homes in the disputed Kiryandongo land in 2019.  They say the evictions were carried out by people who didn’t have a court order.

By February 2020, 14 primary schools, 20 churches and eight private health units had already been demolished by the investors, according to residents.

Mr Joseph Walekula, the secretary of the affected community, says during the time of evictions, people shifted to safe places in the neighbourhood.

“So, they had constructed temporary structures, but wildfire came and burnt the settlements. Children lost their lives when their mothers and fathers had gone to look for food,” he says, adding that basic needs are no longer being provided to the evictees by government or humanitarian organisations.

Mr Benon Beryaija, the area land rights defender, says they have been negatively impacted by the projects.

Agilis Partners is engaged in growing simsim (sesame), maize, sunflower, and soybean. Kiryandongo Sugar Ltd is planting and producing sugar and Great Season is growing coffee.

“Some of us are trapped in the middle of their gardens, we don’t have anywhere to go. We don’t have where to farm, all our land was grabbed by the companies. We don’t have food and water because our boreholes were destroyed,” Mr Beryaija says.

“But because of unending evictions, we ran to court seeking justice to regain our land. We are very happy that the High Court in Masindi fixed all cases and the hearing of the first group will be on April 20,” he adds.

Mr Wilson Tugume, the chairperson of Kiryandongo Sub-county, said many people have suffered as a result of the unending evictions.

“They evicted people in Ranch 23, 28, 29, and 30. They demolished my house and my mother’s house. They are pretending to have compensated people and yet they have not,” he says.

Mr Linos Ngompek, the Member of Parliament for Kibanda North, said they have issues with Ranch 21 and 22 that was sold to Agilis Partners.

“When they (investors) came in 2017, they hurriedly paid those who had settled on the land with little compensation rate, other locals went to court,” he said.

Mr Geoffrey Wokulira, the country director of Witness Radio, a non-governmental organisation, said: “We went to court to seek justice for the affected people. Even when the matter is in court, the companies are using forceful means to evict people”.

However, Mr Wycliffe Birungi, a lawyer for Great Season, earlier said they followed “the right procedures” in acquiring their two-square mile farmland.

“For us, we acquired land from people. The acquisition was done two years back and we have been already in business. It is a fully-pledged commercial farm venture, but we have neighbours – there is a big farm called Agilis, there is also some other big farm,” he said in 2020.

The spokesperson of Agilis Partners, Mr Emmanuel Onyango, dismissed the allegations of unending forceful evictions as baseless.

“I don’t know why people accuse us of evictions, yet we still have people residing on Ranch 20 and 21. For a company that is providing agronomic support to farmers and employing hundreds of locals, this is really sad,” he said yesterday.

Original Source: Daily Monitor

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Top 10 agribusiness giants: corporate concentration in food & farming in 2025

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Today a handful of agribusiness corporations have consolidated unprecedented control over the world’s food supply, with devastating consequences for farmers, consumers and the planet. A new report by ETC Group and GRAIN examines the state of corporate concentration in six sectors critical to agriculture: commercial seeds, pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, farm machinery, animal pharmaceuticals and livestock genetics.

Corporate consolidation is increasing in most of these sectors and four of them– seeds, pesticides, agricultural machinery and animal pharmaceuticals– now meet the definition of an oligopoly, in which four companies control more than 40% of a market. Concentration can be even higher at the national level, as is the case with synthetic fertilisers.

Top findings from the report include:

  • Oligopolies dominate key sectors: Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF control 56% of the global commercial seeds market, and 61% of the pesticides market.
  • Profiteering amid global crises: Agribusiness giants have exploited crises like the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic to inflate prices. Fertiliser companies, for instance, saw revenues soar by 57% from 2020 to 2023, with some accused of price gouging.
  • Digital and biotech expansion: Corporations are rapidly integrating AI, gene editing, and digital platforms into agriculture through partnerships with Big Tech companies. These technologies enable data extraction from farmers, facilitate carbon credit schemes, and tighter control over food systems—while raising concerns about biosafety, privacy, and corporate monopolies.

View the Report

Source: grassrootsonline

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Land grabbers evict 360,000 Ugandans in 2024

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A staggering 363,021 Ugandans were displaced due to forced land evictions between January and June 2024, according to a new report by Witness Radio Uganda.

The report documented 90 cases of land evictions during this period, with nearly four incidents occurring weekly, affecting over 15,126 people and threatening 5,060 hectares of land nationwide.

The Central region was the epicenter, recording 52 eviction cases, followed by 24 in the Western region, eight in the Northern region, and six in the Eastern region. Alarmingly, the report estimated that 2,160 Ugandans face eviction daily, with 723 hectares of land at risk of being grabbed every day.

VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Despite government promises and directives from President Museveni to halt evictions, land grabbers have routinely ignored these orders, often resorting to violence. Armed security forces, private militias, and police were reported to have carried out the majority of the evictions.

Of the reported cases, 37 were enforced by armed gangs on behalf of evictors, 25 involved Uganda Police, five were carried out with the participation of UPDF soldiers, and four were linked to private security companies.

“The egregious levels of impunity exhibited by land grabbers have left communities defenseless, creating an environment where their human rights are trampled without consequence,” said Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, country director of Witness Radio Uganda.

He called for accountability and justice, warning that the unchecked power of influential individuals and entities leaves marginalized communities vulnerable and without recourse.

DRIVERS OF EVICTIONS: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND LAND-BASED INVESTMENTS

The report identified the government’s push for industrialization and land-based investments as the primary drivers of forced evictions. Land is increasingly targeted for oil and gas extraction, mining, agribusiness and tree plantations for carbon offsets. While some of this land is already under development, other parcels remain vacant but are guarded by military personnel and private security firms.

Ssebaggala emphasized that industrialization must balance economic development with the protection of smallholder farmers’ rights to land and food security.

TRAGIC STORIES

The report highlighted harrowing cases that underscore the human toll of forced evictions. In Nakasongola, smallholder farmer Dan Ssebyala was ambushed and killed by armed men following a confrontation over disputed land. The district has become a hotspot for violent evictions involving absentee landlords and powerful investors.

Ismael Bwowe, a disabled father of 20, recounted how his land was confiscated after he demanded fair compensation. He faced intimidation, arrests and false charges from state authorities, including being accused of robbing an influential individual. Bwowe claimed that Total Energies offered legal support and representation on the condition that he accept their compensation terms.

“I refused,” he said, adding that the pressure to relinquish his land remains intense. The report underscores the urgent need for reforms to address forced evictions, ensure accountability, and protect the rights of vulnerable communities. Without meaningful intervention, Uganda risks deepening inequality and undermining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who are essential to the country’s food security.

FAMILY JAILED AMID LAND DISPUTE

The plight of Richard Ssebagala, his wife Prossy Namande, and their relative Anania Ngabirano, residents of Kabubu-Kabongo village in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district, highlights the human toll of Uganda’s ongoing land disputes. The family spent nine months in prison following their arrest on January 10, 2024, under controversial circumstances.

ARREST AND ALLEGATIONS

The arrests occurred at 1am, during a raid by officers from Luweero police station. Police reportedly banged on the doors and forcefully detained the family, accusing them of aggravated robbery. However, the family believes the arrest was a tactic linked to a land dispute with Benon Ntambi, a man who allegedly grabbed their land.

Before the arrests, Ntambi had reportedly destroyed crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, and bananas, on the contested land. While the family was incarcerated, a new building was constructed on their land, which is now occupied, raising further questions about the motivations behind their detention.

CALLS FOR JUSTICE

The case has drawn attention from Witness Radio Uganda, which has urged the government to take immediate action to address land grabbing and illegal evictions. The organization emphasized the need to strengthen land laws and protect vulnerable communities from abuses.

It also called for greater accountability in institutions such as the Uganda Police Force, the army and land registries, which are often accused of corruption and favoritism toward the wealthy.

“The government must prioritize justice for victims of illegal evictions and address systemic corruption that leaves the poor defenseless against land grabbers,” Witness Radio Uganda stated.

BROADER CONTEXT

This case underscores the broader issue of land conflicts in Uganda, where vulnerable families are often caught in disputes with powerful individuals or entities. Advocacy groups warn that the failure to address these issues not only erodes public trust but also perpetuates inequality and injustice.

As the government faces mounting pressure to act, the story of Ssebagala and his family serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reforms to protect land rights and ensure justice for those impacted by land disputes.

Source: The Observer

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: Community members violently evicted by security forces, allegedly related to EACOP; incl. co. responses

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On 10 February 2023, more than 2,500 community members were forcibly evicted from their land in Kapapi village in Hoima district in Western Uganda by security forces, receiving no compensation or resettlement.

Witness Radio, an Ugandan non-profit organisation comprised of human rights investigative journalists, lawyers, and social workers, said that many people were wounded during the eviction, women were raped, and houses were destroyed.

Witness Radio said its investigations found that this eviction occurred to clear the path for the Tilenga feeder pipeline, part of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). According to Witness Radio, in 2022 Kapapi community members’ land was surveyed for the Tilenga pipeline and people were informed they would be compensated for the land. Instead, they were forcibly evicted, which Witness Radio allege was backed and financed by Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, known to TotalEnergies. They also allege that guards from private security company Magnum Security were involved. Witness Radio has also found that dozens of local farmers who were evicted have been arbitrarily arrested and face criminal charges.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited TotalEnergies, Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, and Magnum Security to respond to the allegations. TotalEnergies responded and stated that no land eviction activities had been carried out by or on behalf of TotalEnergies EP Uganda (TEPU) and EACOP Ltd and that none of the affected people are Tilenga or EACOP Project Affected Persons. Swacoff responded and said that the company has never engaged in forceful eviction of any sort and asserts that these allegations are completely false. Their full responses and rejoinders from Witness Radio are available below. Magnum Security did not respond.

Source: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

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