KABALE – The Head of Laity for the Kabale Diocese, Odo Nicodemus Tumukwasiibwe, has urged residents in the Kigezi Sub-region not to abandon wetlands until the government provides compensation.
Tumukwasiibwe conveyed this message yesterday during the third Mass of New Year’s celebrations at the Kabale Christ the King Parish Church in Kabale Municipality. The mass was led by Rev Fr Mathias Kwehangana, the formatter at St Charles Lwanga Seminary in Nyakibale, Rukungiri District.
Tumukwasiibwe, who also serves as the Chairman of the Parish Council of Christ the King Kabale, criticized the government’s approach to enforcing laws on wetland evictions, particularly in the Kigezi region. He expressed concern about the destruction of crop gardens in wetlands before the residents could harvest their crops.
In November of the previous year, authorities in Rubanda district, led by the Acting Resident District Commissioner, Eric Ssewandigi, carried out the destruction of crop gardens and trees in the Karukara-Kanyambugo Wetland in Kabere Parish. The eviction was justified on the grounds that residents had illegally planted various crops and trees in the wetland.
Tumukwasiibwe emphasized the need for people in Kigezi Sub-region to engage with President Museveni on the issue of wetland usage. He advocated for dialogue to find a way forward instead of forcefully evicting people from their land.
CUE IN TUMUKWASIIBWE…ON WETLANDS……..RR//
In response to Tumukwasiibwe’s remarks, Kabale Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Godfrey Nyakahuma, present at the gathering, expressed his disappointment with the destruction of crop gardens by those enforcing the law. He deemed the actions of law enforcers as inhumane.
However, RDC Nyakahuma stressed the importance of adhering to the government’s directive, insisting that people must vacate the wetlands. He disclosed that the Kabale district security committee has granted a three-month grace period for residents occupying wetlands in Kabale district to prepare and harvest their current crops but emphasized that no further planting would be allowed in the gardens.
CUE IN RDC NYAKAHUMA…ON RESPONSE…..RR//
