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Evicted Kyangwali families request govt to resettle them
Some of the people who were evicted from Kyangwali settlement in Kikuube District in 2013. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- They wonder why they have never been resettled even after President Museveni directed they get a home.
More than 10,000 families, who were evicted from Kyangwali settlement in Kikuube District in 2013, have asked the government to be allowed to resettle on their land.
The residents say they have remained squatters since their eviction. They live in Kayaga and Kyeeya villages in Kyangwali.
Last week, more than 250 residents, who were evicted from Bikinda Parish Kyangwali Sub-county, pitched camp at the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), demanding an explanation why they have never been resettled even after President Museveni and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja directed they have a home.
Ms Omuhereza Birungi, one of the affected residents, said they have been staying temporarily on other people’s land in Kyeeya, and fear that landlord may evict them any time.
‘‘We have engaged our leaders in Kikuube, but nothing has been done. We want the government to tell us the final answer, our wish is to go back to our land. Our children are suffering and they have dropped out of school,’’ Ms Birungi said.
Other residents demanded to meet the President on the matter.
When Ms Nabbanja visited the disputed area last year, she halted all the developments done by her office on the land until the dispute is resolved.
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In January 2016, President Museveni wrote a letter directing the then Prime Minister to relocate more than 45,000 people who were evicted from Kyangwali Sub-county.
He also ordered an investigation into the officers who were involved in evicting people.
Mr Amlan Tumusiime, the RDC, blamed the OPM staff for defying the presidential directives.
“We have requested the Prime Minister to take the delegation (evicted people) to meet the President and we solve this problem. I don’t know why some people don’t implement presidential directives,” Mr Tumusiime said.
He said his office has the copy of Mr Museveni’s letter directing that all the people who were evicted be resettled to their land. “The President said in the letter that those people involved in evicting these people should be penalised as individuals and all these things were not done,’’ Mr Tumusiime said.
He added: “Even when the Prime Minister came last year in December and said no more construction and cultivation on disputed land, activities are still taking place. I have asked the DPC (district police commander) to find out and whoever is trying to defy the Prime Minister’s directive should be arrested.’’
The district chairperson, Mr Peter Banura, called for the President’s intervention.
“As a district leaders we try to ensure that peace prevails, and that we get feedback from the commander in charge because this issue is before his desk,” Mr Banura said.
Efforts to get comment from the refugees settlement camp officer, Mr John Bosco Kyaligonza, were futile as he didn’t answer our repeated calls.
