Summary:
- Following the scuffle, parliamentary security whisked Ssenyonyi to safety, while other residents fled.
WAKISO: On Monday, police used teargas to prevent Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi from touring the Lubigi wetland site in Nansana West II, Nansana Municipality in Wakiso District, where the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) recently evicted residents for illegally occupying the wetlands.
After addressing the residents, Ssenyonyi attempted to tour the wreckage, but police swiftly intervened. The confrontation between the two groups lasted five minutes before teargas was deployed to disperse the protesting residents.
Following the scuffle, parliamentary security whisked Ssenyonyi to safety, while other residents fled. During his address, Ssenyonyi criticized NEMA for what he described as discriminatory eviction practices, questioning why factories are allowed to build in wetlands while residents are evicted without prior discussions or notices.
“I have passed by the same place and there is still a police station and fuel stations. If evictions are ongoing, why discriminate? There are known wetlands in Uganda full of factories, yet they remain untouched. Perhaps it is because the owners of these businesses have government connections. Why discriminate among citizens in Uganda?” said Ssenyonyi.
Ssenyonyi urged residents to oppose all forms of human rights violations, noting that such evictions affect everyone regardless of political affiliation. He cited the recent kidnapping of lawmaker Paul Akamba (Busiki County) as an example, emphasizing that human rights violations do not spare anyone based on their political parties.
“These evictions and rights violations do not discriminate against political affiliations. We have raised concerns about human rights violations, which have been ignored because they come from the National Unity Platform. Recently, MP Paul Akamba was given bail but was later kidnapped, similar to the issues we raised with Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North),” he stated.
Ssenyonyi highlighted the inconsistency in the government’s actions, noting that many residents have lived and established businesses in the area for years while paying taxes. He questioned why the government allowed this if the premises were illegal from the start.
“I have been told some of you have been here for 5, 10, even 26 years. You have built and paid taxes while the government watched. If these premises are illegal, why allow you to stay and collect taxes from your businesses?” he asked.
Ssenyonyi also disclosed his discussion with NEMA Executive Director Barirega Akankwasah, urging him to hold talks with residents to find common ground before carrying out evictions, instead of making decisions from their offices without assessing the situation on the ground.
“I asked if they had discussions with you and cautioned that it isn’t good for NEMA officials to work remotely. These are Ugandans from whom you have collected taxes. Why not hold talks with them to find a convergence point instead of unleashing police to destroy property?” Ssenyonyi said.
He emphasized the need for a meeting involving local leaders, evicted residents, and NEMA to discuss the way forward, criticizing NEMA’s remote approach to handling the evictions.
