Five Kyangwali evictees deliver at RDC’s office, one baby dies due to coldness

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Five women who are part of the residents who were forcefully evicted from their ancestral land in Kyangwali Sub County in Kikuube District have so far given birth from the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner’s (RDC offices).

The more than 1,000 residents mainly women and children were evicted from Bukinda A and B, Bukinda 2, Kavule, Bwizibwera A and B, Kyeya A and B, Nyaruhanga, Kabirizi, Nyamigisa A and B and Katoma villages among others in Kasonga parish, Kyangwali Sub County. 

They have since February pitched camp at the office of the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amlan Tumusiime protesting delays by the government to resettle them back on their ancestral land.

Their eviction followed a longstanding feud with officials from the Office of the Prime Minister over Kyangwali Refugee settlement over 36 square kilometres of land. 

Officials from the settlement and the OPM have been feuding with the residents since 2013 over the ownership of the land in question.

In September 2013, OPM officials backed by the police and UPDF evicted more than 60,000 people from the contested land and resettled their Congolese refugees.

The residents were forced to settle in camps in Kyeya village in Kyangwali Sub County under very poor conditions where they have been staying to date.

In 2016 and 2018, President Museveni ordered that the evicted residents be resettled on their ancestral land. To date, his directive remains unimplemented by the concerned authorities.

The situation has compelled the residents to pitch camp at the RDC’s office seeking his intervention to enforce the president's directive to resettle them back on their ancestral land immediately.

Authorities say five of the evictees have so far given birth at the offices of the Kikuube RDC between March and May.

Ms Rosemary Nakibuka, 38, gave birth to a baby girl on March 31, 2022 with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant (TBA) who is also one of the evictees. She says her living condition is appalling since she still sleeps out in the cold with her newly born baby.

Ms Adrine Koburondo, 31, says she was six months pregnant when pitched camp at the RDC’s office but delivered a baby in the compound last week.

Ms Ndaisenga Kyakiyora, 35, gave birth to a baby girl in March but unfortunately, the child died due to too much cold.

Mr Phenias Njunwoha, 52, says his wife identified as Feibe Wimana delivered from the RDC’s office under unfavorable condition in April and to date the child is not in good health since they continue to sleep out in the cold.

Another evictee from Kasonga parish, Ms Birungi Asiimwe said the living conditions of the babies together with their mothers are deplorable.

According to Kikuube RDC, Mr Amlan Tumusiime, the condition of the women who have given birth while at his office is appalling yet he has nothing to give them to properly look after their babies. He said such mothers together with their babies need special attention and care.

"It's starnge that some of these evictees came when they were pregnant. They have given birth from the RDC's compound in Kikuube. My only worry is the babies. The babies need more medical attention. The weather is not good yet they are sleeping in makeshift structures. Now you can imagine their conditions. What do you expect!" he said.