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Ugandan community files complaint to World Bank amid forced evictions

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A community kickboxing academy marked for demolition by the Kampala Capital City Authority.

In 1998, Patrick Mwenza moved to the Kawaala settlement in Kampala, Uganda, where he built his family home and a few rental properties for additional income. But Mwenza — whose name has been changed to protect his identity — said that in 2013 the Kampala Capital City Authority tried to take his land to make way for a development project.

Though Mwenza, now 49, managed to keep his land after rejecting the compensation offered by the authority, he says some of his properties were destroyed during the diversion of the local Lubigi drainage channel, and he did not receive any financial assistance to rebuild them.

Seven years later, on Dec. 3, 2020, Mwenza and his neighbors woke up to find KCCA representatives accompanied by armed guards, distributing eviction notices around their village and placing a red “X” on many structures, which they said were intended for demolition to accommodate the expansion of the Lubigi drainage channel.

Though Mwenza’s property wasn’t marked with the dreaded “X,” he said he did find a pole in the middle of his compound, which marked where the next phase of the channel’s construction will begin — indicating that he should soon expect another eviction notice.

The expansion of the Lubigi drainage channel is part of the second phase of the World Bank’s Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project, KIIDP-2, a project with $175 million committed in the pipeline to enhance urban mobility.

During the first phase, in 2014, authorities constructed a channel diversion which Accountability Counsel — an international civil society organization that advocates for communities harmed by projects like this — said ran through the land of many local residents in Kawaala, as well as cut others off from easy access to schools and basic services.

 “This is a very stark example of failure to meet the World Bank’s own safeguard policies.”

— Caitlin Daniel, senior communities associate, Accountability Counsel

KIIDP-2 will expand on this channel diversion, widening it significantly. It is expected to lead to the eviction of more than 100 families across an area that is more than 1.5 miles long and 230 feet wide.

Accountability Counsel says neither KCCA nor the World Bank provided community members in Kawaala Zone II with adequate information on compensation and resettlement last year — as required by World Bank policies before issuing eviction notices.

In response to this, the community filed a complaint about the project to the World Bank’s Inspection Panel with the support of local NGOs, Witness Radio, and Accountability Counsel. The panel registered the case last month.

Caitlin Daniel, senior communities associate at Accountability Counsel, said many of the issues plaguing the first phase of the project haven’t been dealt with, and that — despite KCCA having had years to organize a resettlement process — the Kawaala Zone II community has been largely excluded from the process.

The organization believes that KCCA has been taking advantage of the community’s lack of awareness, driving affected community members through a rushed resettlement process — prioritizing project timelines over the livelihoods and the well-being of affected people and its equitable implementation.

Robi Mosenda, communities associate at Accountability Counsel in Kenya, alleged that KCCA has also used unscrupulous tactics such as threats, misinformation, and enforced surveys “to drive out this community.”

“There have been allegations of extortion and people asking for bribes to get higher values or figures for compensation,” he said, adding that, although many community members are illiterate, they’ve been asked to sign documents only to be never given copies. “Most of them just figured that this is a government agency and they will do whatever they want to do and we don’t have recourse against them.”

In the midst of all this, community members and civil society groups say that the World Bank has been largely absent, leaving KCCA frequently unsupervised. Community members aren’t clear about their rights in relation to a World Bank-funded project, Mosenda said, because nobody gave them that information.

“This is a very stark example of failure to meet the World Bank’s own safeguard policies,” Daniel explained. “These commitments that they have made to ensure that community members are not resettled without first receiving compensation and resettlement assistance — enough to make sure they are not any worse off than they were before the project began, and that just really clearly didn’t happen.”

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She added that COVID-19 further complicated the process, with World Bank personnel reluctant to travel to project sites. “But community members really strongly feel if the World Bank were there in person then the KCCA’s actions would be improved,” she said.

A representative from the World Bank’s country office in Uganda said that the bank cannot comment on an ongoing deliberation by their inspection panel.

Meanwhile, KCCA insists that the allegations leveled against the authority are false.

“It’s supposed to be a better place after we have finished the channel but because some people want a little money and their recognition, they hype it,” said KCCA spokesperson Daniel NuweAbine. “It is politics and the selfishness of individuals that want to keep our cities and our people … behind.”

NuweAbine claimed that the authority has “engaged and reengaged with the community,” and provided adequate compensation to those affected.

Those that have not been compensated, he said, illegally settled on the land after the first phase of the project — when the aforementioned compensations were already made — or bought land from owners who had previously received compensation. He blamed lawyers and civic groups for wanting “to be looked at as saviors” and misleading the community about how much their properties are worth.

The Accountability Counsel’s Daniel challenged KCCA’s assertion, citing a person whose proposed compensation amount was so low that it wouldn’t even cover administrative fees to obtain the documents that proved they owned the land.

“We are not rebelling [against] the project but we want to be compensated and leave the land for the project to go on,” said one 42-year-old woman, who has lived in Kawaala her whole life.

Jeff Ssebaggala, Uganda’s country director at Witness Radio, said the project’s problem is that it wasn’t community-led from the beginning.

“Development should be community-led,” he said. “No poor community would fight a development project, but people are not included.”

Original Source: devex.com

  • A community kickboxing academy marked for demolition by the Kampala Capital City Authority.

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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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