Kampala – Uganda, a community land rights defender in the Kawaala community who is leading affected community members to resist a forced eviction by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has this afternoon been arbitrarily arrested and taken to an unknown location.
Ever since the victim community filed a complaint before the Inspection Panel of the World Bank on 17th/06/2021, the victim community have faced several reprisals ranging from assault by agents of KCCA, intimidation, illegal arrests and detention, harassment, forcing elderly and illiterate people to sign documents they do not understand among others. The complaint was filed on their behalf by Witness Radio – Uganda whose operations have since been banned by Uganda authorities and the process was supported by the Accountability Counsel.
The complaint alleged impacts from the first phase of the project in 2014, diverted water into people’s properties, which has led to at least one death. It also listed feared impacts from the planned expansion, including worsening flooding issues, loss of family grave-sites, and loss of homes and farmland, the income from which is used to pay children’s school fees.
The current planned expansion will widen that channel and require forced evictions across an area at least 70 meters wide and 2.5 km long.
On December 3rd, 2020, the day KCCA had planned to kick off with the construction of the project, they (KCCA) arrived on Kawaala II village accompanied by armed guards and began distributing eviction notices stating that residents had 28 days to vacate their homes. They marked buildings to be demolished with red “X” marks. The following day, they returned with excavators and began attempting to forcefully evict residents and demolish their homes.
KCCA had not consulted the poor urban community, no prior and informed consent from them, offering fair compensation and resettlement.
The drainage channel is part of a broader road and infrastructure project, the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project, which has been carried out in two phases. The project will cost USD 175 million, a loan Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) acquired from the World Bank.
This afternoon, the 14th day of September 2021, the armed anti-riot police raided Abaasi Sseggujja’s home, arrested, and handcuffed the community land rights defender before he was taken away to a place the arresters did not mention.
“Mr. Ssegujja was picked at around 1:00 PM with no explanations for his arrest but they (anti-riot policemen) were heard saying, we have been sent to pick you and take you. He has been arrested for his role of mobilizing community members to resist KCCA’s forced eviction” Said a family member who was present at the time of the arrest.
A family member further added that when they followed the car that was used to pick Ssegujja, it was seen entering Old Kampala Divisional Police Head Quarters.
According to the police documents found at Ssegujja’s home by this defender, this is not the first time for Ssegujja to be illegally arrested and detained. Last month, the area police summoned him on allegations of injuring one Ali Bukenya, who doubles as an agent of KCCA but the file was later closed because the complainant had no evidence.
According to Ssegujja’s lawyers, during the same month of August, this year, he (Ssegujja) was again arrested and detained, interrogated on charges of simple robbery before being released on police bond.
His lawyers further confirmed that the community land rights defender is being held at Old Kampala Divisional police headquarters but charges have not yet been established.
