Sheema Wetland Evictees Compensated with Livestock to Boost Incomes

Summary:

• Sheema District Resident Commissioner Fred Nayebare Kyamuzigita urged beneficiaries to focus on productive use of the compensation animals.

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SHEEMA: Over 200 people who were forcefully evicted from gazetted wetlands in Sheema District received 10 cows, 150 piglets, and 1,280 chicks on Thursday, December 19, 2024, as compensation aimed at improving their household incomes.

The beneficiaries hail from areas including Kigarama Sub-County, Kakindo Town Council, Shuku, Kyangyenyi, and Kitagata, among others with designated wetlands.

Speaking at the handover event, Sheema District Resident Commissioner Fred Nayebare Kyamuzigita urged beneficiaries to focus on productive use of the compensation animals. He specifically cautioned men against using the cattle as bride price, emphasizing their potential for economic empowerment through breeding and multiplication.

Kyamuzigita highlighted that the supplied cattle breed is tick-resistant, making it suitable for the local environment. He assured beneficiaries of continued monitoring by district officials to ensure the projects create meaningful impact.

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Sheema District Chairperson Jemima Buhanda lauded the public for complying with the government’s directive to vacate wetlands, a move she noted had positively contributed to climate restoration in the area. She also appreciated the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for prioritizing support to those in need, particularly those who willingly left the wetlands.

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Patrick Turyatunga Pato, the Sheema District Natural Resources Officer, acknowledged the initial resistance to wetland eviction directives. He explained that sensitization meetings played a key role in gaining community acceptance after assurances of compensation.

Turyatunga urged landowners near wetlands to maintain the recommended buffer zones to avoid penalties and stressed the importance of beneficiaries utilizing their resources responsibly for sustained benefits.

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