RUBANDA – At least 100 farmers in Kyenyi and Kabere parishes in Muko Sub-County of Rubanda District have petitioned the Office of the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, seeking intervention after experiencing forced eviction and the destruction of their crop gardens by District Authorities.
The farmers’ livelihoods were severely impacted when, on the 28th of last month, district authorities, led by Rubanda’s Acting Resident District Commissioner, Eric Ssewandigi, undertook the destruction of crop gardens and trees in a bid to restore the Karukara-Kanyambugo Wetland in Kabere Parish. This action was met with protests from a segment of locals who depend on the wetland for their sustenance. District authorities claimed the eviction was necessary as residents had illegally planted various crops such as beans, Irish potatoes, cabbages, maize, eggplants, and eucalyptus trees on the wetland.
In their petition, the affected farmers, through the area Member of Parliament, Hon. Moses Kamuntu Mwongyera, implored President Museveni to address the issue, highlighting that they had utilized the land for decades and were taken aback by the abrupt eviction without prior sensitization. They expressed concerns about potential hunger and financial distress due to the loss of their crop gardens, underscoring their inability to repay loans invested in their agricultural ventures.
CUE IN FARMERS….ADDRESSING THE ISSUE….RR//
Rubanda District LC5 chairperson, Steven Ampeire Kasyaba, strongly condemned the destruction of crops in the name of implementing a Presidential Directive. He criticized the actions of NEMA and the Natural Resources office, asserting that such measures deviate from the president’s directives.
CUE IN KASYABA…..CRITICIZING THE ACTIONS….RR/ENG//
Legislator for Rubanda County West, Hon. Moses Kamuntu Mwongyera, dismissed the eviction act and announced intentions to pursue legal action for justice and compensation.
CUE IN KAMUNTU….ON LEGAL ACTION….ENG//
Contrarily, Rubanda District’s Nature Resources Officer, Jane Amumpeire, revealed that 95 percent of wetlands in the district have been encroached upon. She cited visible effects such as floods leading to fatalities, destruction of crop gardens, and damage to other properties. Amumpeire emphasized that the public had been sensitized about activities permissible in wetlands without compromising the ecosystem.
CUE IN AMUMPEIRE…..ON WETLAND RESTORATION….RR/ENG//
