Summary:
- While addressing the country on Saturday, President Museveni supported the National Environment Management Authority’s ongoing evictions of encroachers in wetlands nationwide.
- Once extended to Kigezi, the forceful eviction will affect about 32,000 households in Kabale, Rukiga, and Rubanda.
KABALE: Leaders in the Kigezi Sub-region are set to hold a high-level meeting to discuss pressing issues, primarily the wetland eviction matter, according to Kabale Deputy Resident Commissioner Ronald Andrew Bakak.
Bakak stated that the meeting is scheduled for Thursday 25th and Friday 26th this week and will be hosted in Kabale District. The attendees will include five ministers, all members of parliament, resident district commissioners, LC5 chairpersons, and chief administrative officers from the Kigezi Sub-region.
Bakak urged residents in the Kigezi Sub-region to press ministers and members of parliament to arrange a meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to address the power dynamics related to the use of wetlands in Kigezi.
CUE IN BAKAK… ON MEETING…….LUG//
Denis Ndyomugyenyi Nzeirwe, a farmer from Katuna Town Council in Ndorwa West County, requested Bakak to inform President Museveni that Kabale has land but not wetlands. Nzeirwe mentioned that if Kabale residents continue utilizing their land, the NRM will secure high votes in the 2026 general elections.
CUE IN NZEIRWE… ON WETLANDS…….RR//
However, farmers in Rubanda District have ignored a presidential directive to vacate and restore wetlands, proceeding to plant Irish potatoes for the upcoming September season. This defiance follows the government’s directive last October aimed at conserving degraded environments, which led to evictions across the Kigezi Sub-region, displacing many farmers.
Our reporter observed farmers actively cultivating in the wetlands as the day ended. Farmers Anthony Ainebyona and Promise Kandagano argue that limited land availability and the significant benefits of wetland cultivation for food and income compel them to continue farming in these areas. They express concern about the potential impact if they are evicted again and urge the government to allow cultivation in wetlands and provide alternative land.
CUE IN ANTHONY AND PROMISE… ON WETLANDS……RR//
State Minister for Water and Environment Beatrice Anywar stated that Kigezi, Bukedea, and Busoga sub-regions have specific presidential guidance due to past misleading settlements in wetlands. The president has directed compensation for residents in these regions to facilitate smooth relocation. Anywar is engaging with development partners to secure alternative solutions and prevent further conflicts.
CUE IN ANYWAR… ON WETLANDS…….ENG//
While addressing the country on Saturday, President Museveni supported the National Environment Management Authority’s ongoing evictions of encroachers in wetlands nationwide.
President Museveni stated that those claiming they were born in the encroached wetland areas should know that the government has records tracing the history of forests and wetlands, and he knows exactly what happened and when.
Currently, the National Environment Management Authority’s eviction operations are in Wakiso District. Once extended to Kigezi, the forceful eviction will affect about 32,000 households in Kabale, Rukiga, and Rubanda.
