Fear of eviction grips over 20,000 Hoima residents

Residents attend a meeting in Zorobi Parish, Kabaale Sub-county, Hoima District on January 29, 2025. PHOTO/JOSEPH KASUMBA
What you need to know:
- Mr Joseph Twegonze, the interim lands officer for Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, assured the residents that none of them would lose their land because the king does not evict his subjects.
More than 20,000 residents of five villages in Zorobi Parish, Kabaale Sub-county, Hoima District, are living in fear of an alleged plan by the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom to evict them from land on which they reside to pave the way for the establishment of sugar cane plantations.
The residents are from the villages of Ngemwa, Zorobi, Nkwaki, Nyakasinini, and Kigaaga B. Rumours about the alleged pending evictions started making the rounds in the villages after Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom officials, who were reportedly accompanied by Indian nationals and security personnel, conducted inspections in Zirobi Parish and Bugoma Central Forest Reserve on January 15.
However, Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom officials say they are not planning to evict anyone and were simply carrying out routine land assessments.
During a meeting in Zorobi Village last Wednesday, residents appealed to the government to come to their rescue, saying the land rightfully belongs to them. Ms. Kamusiime Ayebale, a resident, argued that a kingdom cannot exist without its people.
“We shall not allow this to happen. This is the land where we have been farming and grazing our animals. A kingdom is not just about the king; it is about the people and their properties. I believe the king would not allow this to happen, but some individuals are taking advantage of his illness,” she said.
Mr James Atuhaire, a resident of Zorobi Village, said he had never heard of the land belonging to the kingdom until he saw officials from the kingdom inspecting the land.
“We have no other land apart from this. Even though they claim no one will be evicted, it is a lie. We have seen kingdom officials inspecting the land, which clearly indicates their intentions. The investor wants to proceed with his plans, and he will not allow us to continue living here,” he said.
Ms Catherine Nayenga, another resident, said she had not been sleeping due to fear.
“They want to grab our land and very many people in the area are not sleeping because of that problem, and we have nowhere to go since we have lived on this land for many years,” Ms Catherine Nayenga said.
She added:
“We have been heavily dependent on this land for long for survival, but now residents have resorted not to carry out any productive activity here due to the fear of being evicted. Even our houses are on the said land.”
Leaders in the area said the fear had paralysed normal activities in the parish, with residents hesitant to engage in any productive work for fear of losing their homes and livelihoods.
Mr Hassan Kugonza, the Kabaale Sub-county chairperson, said when they learnt of the alleged kingdom’s eviction plans, he notified the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), the National Forestry Authority (NFA), and the Hoima District chairperson to intervene.
“The team from the kingdom told residents that their land is within the Bugoma Central Forest Reserve. This prompted us to petition the RDC, NFA, and the Hoima District chairperson for intervention. We have since held a meeting with the residents, and we hope they will not be evicted,” Kugonza said.
The residents held a meeting with officials from the Resident District Commissioner and NFA. During the meeting, Mr. Boaz Basigirenda, the NFA range manager in charge of Budongo systems, which covers the Bunyoro Sub-region, said Bugoma Central Forest Reserve should remain intact and no one should tamper with it.
“We are all supposed to be vigilant so that we protect this forest because Bugoma is one and you can’t buy it or find it anywhere, and therefore it should remain intact,” he said.
When contacted for a comment, Mr Andrew Byakutaga, the prime minister of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, refuted claims of eviction plans, saying they conducted routine land assessments.
Mr Joseph Twegonze, the interim lands officer for Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, assured the residents that none of them would lose their land because the king does not evict his subjects.
Past Incident
In 2016, the kingdom leased 22 square miles of land in Kyangwali Sub-county, Kikuube District, to Hoima Sugar Company Limited for a 99-year term, specifically for sugarcane cultivation.