MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

NEMA says it is restoring wetlands, but poor urban families say it is using the exercise to grab their land for new infrastructure projects – now they demand compensation and resettlement.

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2026

One of the old houses being destroyed by an excavator in Kawaala Zone II.

Hundreds of residents of Kawaala Zone II in Kampala accuse the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) of double standards and of targeting their land for upcoming mega projects. They say they have lawfully occupied it since the 1940s.

NEMA has already evicted dozens of urban poor families, but the operation was halted after engagement with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) until a district environmental community is established.

NEMA is using the 1995 NEMA Act to carry out what it calls a “wetland restoration exercise,” but victim families call it an institutional failure to verify who lawfully occupies the land, conduct a feasibility study, and establish the cause of flooding before designating the area as wetlands.

The urban poor families, many of whom possess legally recognized land ownership documents, argue that earlier government projects such as the Uganda National Road Authority’s Northern By-Pass Road in 2004, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation’s sewage plant in 2010, and the Second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructural Development Project (KIIDP2) in 2020 compensated them, with the matter ending in World Bank-led mediation in 2024.

NEMA, which participated in the KIIIDP2 mediation as an expert agency and agreed that Kawaala is not part of the designated wetlands in Kampala, is now carrying out an eviction against the Kawaala families without due process, including sensitization, consultation, or resettlement.

“We have lived on this land for decades. We did not find a wetland here; the flooding has been caused by infrastructure projects, and we found ourselves in floods, but this is not a wetland,” Mrs. Namala Christine, who occupied the said land in 1968, told Witness Radio.

According to the residents, NEMA neither verified their ownership records nor afforded them an opportunity to be heard before issuing eviction notices.

“We only received notices ordering us to vacate. We don’t even know where the wetland is found because NEMA has never indicated that to us and sensitized us about what a wetland is,” said Abbas Ssegujja.

Kasozi says the infrastructure projects that compensated residents also changed the area’s natural landscape. He explained that the construction of the Northern Bypass, the Lubigi Sewerage Treatment Plant, commissioned in 2010, and drainage works under the first Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP I) altered water flows and gradually turned formerly dry land into waterlogged areas by diverting drainage water.

The second phase of the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP II), financed by the World Bank, further affected residents as water flooded their homesteads.

In 2020, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), supported by government agencies including the Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), and NEMA, moved to evict residents to facilitate the expansion of the Lubigi Drainage Channel. The operation was carried out without prior consultation or compensation, while KCCA alleged that the affected residents had illegally settled in a protected wetland.

Following advocacy by Witness Radio and Accountability Counsel through the World Bank’s accountability mechanism, residents were eventually compensated for losses from that project.

“Every project that took our land compensated us. But the environmental impacts they left behind have been devastating. What was once dry land has gradually become waterlogged, making life increasingly difficult,” Kasozi said.

Asked about the recent Kawaala evictions, NEMA Public Relations Officer William Lubuulwa said the Authority is carrying out environmental restoration under the National Environment Act, Cap. 181.

“It may be true that some people in Kawaala have land records or title deeds. NEMA is not saying they do not own land. What concerns us is how that land is used. Wetlands are not supposed to accommodate residential developments. Our role is to guide and sensitize these people on how to use this land. We therefore required them to vacate,” Lubuulwa told Witness Radio through WhatsApp.

However, when asked whether NEMA had previously guided the community on lawful land use or undertaken public sensitization before issuing eviction notices, he did not respond.

Regarding residents’ demands for compensation, Lubuulwa said the law does not allow compensating individuals responsible for degrading wetlands, and the residents are asking the Authority to reconsider its position.

“The Act does not work that way. A person who destroys a wetland may face a fine of up to Shs600 million or up to 12 years’ imprisonment. Government cannot compensate people for degrading wetlands,” he said.

The residents dispute NEMA’s characterization of them as wetland encroachers, saying many settled on the land decades before Uganda enacted the National Environment Statute in 1995, and when their land was not flooding.

The Buganda Land Board (BLB), which administers the land on behalf of the Buganda Kingdom, has acknowledged NEMA’s mandate to regulate environmentally sensitive areas while urging authorities to respect landowners’ rights.

It should be remembered that the evictees are bibanja holders on Buganda Kingdom mailo land in Uganda. According to documents our team has seen, they have paid busuulu, or ground rent, which they say legitimizes their land ownership.

Uganda has four tenure systems: Mailo, Freehold, customary, and leasehold. Mailo is categorized into two: private Mailo and official Mailo. In Kawaala Zone II, residents have been settling on official Mailo owned by the Buganda Kingdom.

Under Ugandan law, a Kibanja holder is a tenant who uses land without an official, registered title. Under the 1995 Constitution of Uganda and the Land Act (Cap 236), Kibanja holders are legally recognized as lawful or bona fide occupants. This gives them security of tenure and protects them from arbitrary or illegal evictions.

In a 2024 statement, the Kingdom’s Minister for Information and spokesperson, Israel Kazibwe Kitooke, cited Section 44 of the Land Act, noting that although NEMA regulates land use in wetlands and forest reserves, enforcement should follow proper procedures that protect people’s property rightThe Kingdom further urged NEMA to ensure that affected residents are not deprived of their property without due process and proper consideration, and to act accordingly.gly.

Speaking to Witness Radio, BLB Land Relations Officer Fred Kibuuka explained that paying busuulu, or ground rent, to the Buganda Land Board does not determine how land may be used.

“BLB does not regulate land use. NEMA has the responsibility to ensure environmental protection while also respecting landowners’ rights,” he said.

It should also be noted that both the Buganda Land Board and bibanja holders in Kawaala Zone II received compensation during the World Bank-funded Lubigi drainage project, KIIDP II. According to Kibuuka, this happened because each held legally recognized interests in the land, which appears inconsistent with NEMA’s current position that compensation should not be paid in wetland cases.

Victim families alleged that NEMA is targeting their land for a mega project and that their eviction is not about wetland encroachment. They said officials had earlier leaked information that several projects were being considered for their land before NEMA demolished their homes.

NEMA’s nationwide wetland restoration campaign intensified in 2024 as the government stepped up efforts to reclaim degraded wetlands. Restoration operations have since been carried out in some parts of the country before some of the Kawaala families were evicted and left homeless.

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Govt orders fresh valuation of land for Rubanda iron ore project

Published

3 days ago

October 8, 2026

witnessradio.org

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has ordered officials from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to repeat the valuation and compensation assessment for land acquired for an iron ore mining and processing project in Rubanda District following complaints that some affected residents were under-compensated.

Ms Nabbanja issued the directive on Wednesday while officiating at the handover of 60 acres of iron ore-rich land in Mufumba Village, Butare-Katojo Town Council, to Devki Steel Mills (U), which plans to mine and process iron ore in the area.

Some local leaders told the Prime Minister that several project-affected people were dissatisfied with the compensation they received, saying the money was insufficient to enable them to acquire alternative land for farming and settlement.

Ms Nabbanja later handed a land certificate to Devki Steel Mills (U) chairman Raval Narendra and directed the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to expedite the company’s mining licence.

“I hereby order the officials from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development that conducted this exercise to work with the local leaders and move house to house, piece of land to another and ensure that the raised concerns on under-valuation are fully addressed and everybody is satisfied,” Ms Nabbanja said.

“We don’t want to hear that our investor has land issues here and there because President Museveni was clear on this matter. After two weeks I will come back here to verify that everybody in this area is fully satisfied.”

Her directive followed complaints from Mufumba LC1 chairman Paulo Tibenderana and Rubanda District LCV chairman Stephen Kasyaba over the compensation process.

“Although people in this area are welcoming the investor, they claim that the money given to them is not enough to facilitate them acquire alternative pieces of land for their livelihoods,” Mr Kasyaba said.

He said the district council had already earmarked 52 acres where an iron ore processing plant could be constructed, as requested by President Museveni.

Mr Kasyaba also asked the government to consider compensating owners of land neighbouring the acquired project area to avoid disputes and other inconveniences associated with mining and crushing activities.

However, the ministry defended the valuation process.

The ministry’s chief government valuer, Gilbert Kermundu, said officials had consulted the Rubanda District Land Board, the 161 project-affected people and other residents before setting the compensation rate at Shs40 million per acre.

He said the rate took into account land scarcity in the area and that compensation was calculated according to the size of each affected person’s landholding.

“We paid the project affected people using this measure because individual land size was different as some people had less than 0.03 acres of land,” Mr Kermundu said.

He added that the affected residents were entitled to an additional 30 per cent of the compensation as disturbance allowance to facilitate their relocation.

“Kindly accept what the government has given you,” he said.

The ministry’s Under Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Mugunga, said about 99 per cent of the project-affected people had been compensated, questioning the basis of the complaints raised during the ceremony.

The compensation dispute comes as the government seeks to clear outstanding land issues and enable Devki Steel Mills to commence the planned mining and processing operations.

Mr Narendra appealed to the government to extend hydropower electricity to the project area to support the company’s operations.

He also pledged to employ local residents and support schools in neighbouring communities through education sponsorships and school feeding programmes.

Source: monitor.co.ug

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Death Of Witnesses Cited Among Causes Of Land Case Backlog

Published

5 days ago

October 6, 2026

witnessradio.org

The death of witnesses, illness and repeated adjournments are among the factors contributing to the backlog of land cases in Uganda, the Deputy Registrar of the Land Division has said.

His Worship Ronald Kayizzi said land cases accumulate in court for several reasons, including litigants filing multiple applications in a single matter, forcing judicial officers to adjourn cases and schedule them for later dates.

Appearing on Salam TV’s Judiciary Show hosted by Mariam Busingye, Kayizzi said the availability of witnesses was another major challenge affecting the timely disposal of cases.

He said some witnesses are elderly or sick, while others die before their cases are concluded, further complicating proceedings.

“Some witnesses are sick or elderly, and at times cases are delayed as court waits for witnesses who eventually die,” Kayizzi said.

He urged litigants to take their cases seriously and cooperate with their lawyers to minimise unnecessary delays.

Kayizzi also called on lawyers and judicial officers to manage their diaries properly and avoid fixing too many cases for hearing on the same day.

He further urged all parties expected to appear in court to make every effort to attend scheduled hearings, saying cooperation among litigants, lawyers and court officials is essential to reducing delays.

The comments come amid longstanding concerns over delays in the disposal of land disputes, which can leave parties waiting for years before their cases are concluded.

Kayizzi said better preparation by litigants and lawyers, proper scheduling by judicial officers and timely attendance by all parties could help courts reduce the backlog and improve access to justice.

source: nilepost.co.ug

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Sweeping investments are fueling widespread land grabbing and deepening rights violations across Uganda – Report.

Published

5 days ago

October 5, 2026

witnessradio.org

By the Witness Radio Team.

For 16 years, Sulait Behangana has fought to reclaim his land in Kassanda District, where he says he was forced out to make room for a tree plantation run by the UK-based New Forest Company (NFC). Once the proud owner of over 15 acres lush with coffee, bananas, and sugarcane, Behangana lost not just his fields but the foundation of his livelihood.

Now, Behangana survives by toiling on other people’s plantations, a stark contrast to the life he once knew.

“I was beaten during the eviction, and this caused lameness and weakness of my body. I have been reduced to a pauper; I have to dig in other people’s plantations to get what to eat,” Behangana told Witness Radio.

Behangana was one of 901 families uprooted to clear space for the Namwasa tree plantation, as detailed in a report chronicling seven cases of development-driven forced evictions in Uganda. In his community, families recount being pushed off their land without compensation or genuine resettlement. While a few received land, hundreds remain in limbo, still waiting for justice. Julius Ndagize, who leads the displaced households, says repeated mediation with New Forest Company has brought no resolution.

“We secured 500 acres of land in Kampindu Village, Kitumbi Sub-county after the first mediation to resettle those people. Of the 901 affected families, 453 were allocated land and resettled. However, 448 families haven’t been compensated to date,” Ndagize says.

The ordeal faced by families in Mubende echoes a broader pattern uncovered in a report titled Foreign Investment Drives Systematic Forced Land Evictions in Violation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, presented at the recent Africa Business and Human Rights Forum 2026.

The report details seven major cases where large-scale development projects and investments swept across Uganda, displacing communities. It examines the roles of government and security agencies, and the uphill battle victims face in seeking compensation and justice.

These cases span the Kaweri Coffee Plantation, Namwasa Forest Reserve, Formosa Three Planting Company, Agilis Partners, the Bunyoro Ranching Scheme in Kiryandongo, the Wadelai Irrigation Scheme, the Tilenga Project, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and conservation projects impacting the Batwa.

Witness Radio, ORRA, AFIEGO, FIAN-Uganda, BIRUDO, and BIDO, in collaboration with EDLC-NOVA, compiled the report. Drawing on community testimonies, court records, and grassroots documentation, the report claims these seven cases displaced 56,400 people. Even more striking, civil society monitoring suggests over 360,000 Ugandans may have been affected by forced evictions in the first half of 2024.

Mr. Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, Executive Director of Witness Radio, notes that while the cases span different investments and regions, affected communities’ stories share striking similarities. He points out that communities were frequently sidelined in decisions about their land, while those with political or financial clout often influenced the very processes that led to displacement.

“We noticed key agencies but also middlemen or government officials who are politically and financially connected,” Ssebaggala said, adding that such actors can be involved from the start, especially where communities live on land without formal tenure, making it easier to disregard their claims when the land is identified for investment or government use.

Ssebaggala explains that the roots of the problem stretch back to historical land decisions, when communities were left out of government planning and later discovered they were living on land earmarked for other uses.

“There are others whose land was gazetted to be a ranch by governments in the 1970s, but they were never consulted when the national exercise of planning was taking place,” he said.

He warns the stakes grow higher when communities resist these projects or question their removal.

“Those who stand against these projects are arrested, intimidated, or imprisoned. Communities regard land as everything because it defines their livelihood and heritage,” Ssebaggala said, adding that the report raised concerns about state institutions supporting investments rather than protecting affected communities.

The report reveals that women and young people were largely shut out of decision-making around land-based investments. Ssebaggala notes many projects moved forward without seeking communities’ voices or meaningful input, leaving those most reliant on the land excluded from choices shaping their destinies. As gender equality is concerned, the report shows an exclusion of women and youth in all these processes as projects really exist on their own without expressed opinion or contribution from the communities,” he said.

Examining these cases and the struggle for justice, lawyer Peter Arinaitwe, who represents land eviction victims, says affected communities face many obstacles: institutional backlogs, delays, and the heavy financial toll of legal battles that can drag on for years.

“We face judicial capture. Recently, we had the Chief Justice warning judges not to grant injunctions, stopping any investment project, and said that doing so amounts to prison,” Arinaitwe said.

Arinaitwe says Uganda has constitutional and legal protections for land rights, but these have not always protected communities on the ground. He cited cases involving the oil refinery and Kaweri Coffee Plantation, where communities pursued claims in court. Even when cases were decided and compensation awarded, legal processes continued to prolong disputes.ws because the constitutional provisions and protections exist in the book. Still, it’s a different story when it comes to practice,” he said.

For those stripped of their land, drawn-out court battles add another burden, forcing them to spend time and money seeking justice while struggling to rebuild their lives. Arinaitwe adds that the scars of eviction run deep, with psychological and emotional wounds lingering long after the land is gone.

“They are traumatized by the atrocities committed in the course of the eviction which go beyond the land and instead cause mental and emotional drain,” he said.

Participants from across Africa echoed Uganda’s concerns. Edmund Matotay described how Maasai communities in northern Tanzania now face mounting pressure as government interests in conservation, tourism, agriculture, and development clash with the pastoral way of life.

He said the Maasai depend on access to grazing land and that physical displacement therefore affects more than where people live. “The issue of physical displacement disrupts the way of life considering that Maasai people are typically nomads and pastoralists who depend on the grazing of the cows and cattle,” Matotai said.

He also reported intimidation of people supporting the communities, saying lawyers, faith leaders and others involved in defending land rights had faced threats and arrests. “There were a lot of intimidation issues, not only to the lawyers, to other actors, but also to the faith leaders who are leading some of the discussion around the area,” he said.

Back in Uganda, the report insists that stopping forced evictions is not the government’s burden alone. Companies profiting from land-based investments must also identify human rights risks before projects start, engage with affected communities, and create accessible ways to hear and resolve grievances.

Ssebaggala urges investors not to wait until communities are uprooted and legal battles erupt before tackling human rights issues. He calls for ongoing human rights due diligence throughout every stage of investment, and for companies to set up grievance mechanisms so affected people can voice concerns and seek solutions.

“Investors should integrate human rights due diligence across project cycles and also establish a grievance mechanism, policies, structures and awareness of these processes,” he said.

He also urges the government to put in place systems that verify free, prior, and informed consent, making human rights due diligence and environmental impact assessments mandatory before any land-based investment can proceed.