Pastoralists cry out over blocked road

Cut off. Residents use a section of the blocked road in Kimengo Sub-county, Masindi District. PHOTO BY FELIX BASIIME

What you need to know:

  • Ziwa ranch was leased by government to Ziwa Ranchers in 2002 and later Mukwano Enterprizes Ltd sub-leased the 62-square mile ranch from Ziwa Ranchers in 2009.
  • The assistant chief administrative officer, Mr Fred Kisembo, said they received the petition and the district executive assigned Mr Kasim Kabagonza, the district vice chairperson, to follow up the matter.

Residents of Kimengo Sub-county in Masindi District have petitioned the council speaker, Mr Moses Kirya, calling for punitive action against an investor they accuse of blocking a road they use to access water for their animals.
The petition signed by 200 residents and also copied to district chairperson and Resident District Commissioner’s Office, was presented on Friday.

“We demand action from your office against Ziwa ranch investors for mistreating us and blocking the road to a water body where our animals drink water,” the petition reads in part.
Mr Fred Kapinpini, who presented the petition, told Daily Monitor that residents had resorted to taking their animals to Kafu River, which is located more than four miles away from their farms.
Mr Dely Akugizibwe, another resident, blamed government for failing to construct dams in the area.
“We would not be losing our animals if government had built dams in Kimengo,” Mr Akugizibwe said.
However, Mr Muhamad Iqbal, the rancher’s general manager, accused the pastoralists of encroaching on the land and infecting their animals with ticks.

The assistant chief administrative officer, Mr Fred Kisembo, said they received the petition and the district executive assigned Mr Kasim Kabagonza, the district vice chairperson, to follow up the matter.
Mr Kirya said they would table the matter.
“We shall table it to council after we get the reports from the vice chairperson, the district chairperson and the Resident District Commissioner,” he said.

Mr Salama Kugonza, the district secretary for health, said the district was losing revenue from livestock farmers due to reduced milk production and cows being sold cheaply because of difficulty in accessing water.
In November 2012, Dr Festus Bogere, a natural resource specialist in National Environmental Management Authority, visited the ranch and directed its management to put up corridors to enable pastoralists and their livestock access water bodies.