Kigezi farmers demand Shs370b to vacate wetlands

About 1,000 farmers who been using wetlands in the Kigezi Sub-region for farming are demanding Shs370b from the government as compensation before they vacate.

In October last year, the government issued a directive on vacating and restoring wetlands in a move to conserve the degraded environment.

The aggrieved farmers led by the former Kabale deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Denis Nzeirwe, on Wednesday signed a petition to the Speaker of Parliament stating that evicting them from the wetlands would result in food insecurity and economic crisis in the region.

“Kigezi Sub-region has been known for vegetable growing because of the proper utilisation of wetlands as crop gardens. Since the colonial days, farmers in the region have been using wetlands sustainably for the production of food crops. Since the farmers have been earning about Shs37b from these enterprises per year, we need about Shs370b as compensation to vacate these wetlands, some of which are legally owned as customary pieces of land, lease and freehold with land titles,” Mr Nzeirwe said.

He added that if their demands are not addressed, they will be forced to take legal action against the government that is “depriving them of their land rights as stipulated in the Constitution’’.

Mr Nzeirwe said according to their survey, farmers in Kigezi region are earning about Shs5.4b annually from selling milk, Shs15.8b from selling meat, and Shs16b from selling vegetables and Irish potatoes.

“Our survey indicates that about 320,000 people depend on using wetlands as crop gardens and dairy farms in the Kigezi Sub-region,’’ he said.

Mr Justus Muhangi, the lawyer of the aggrieved farmers, said they need a matching annual source of income so that they can ably implement government programmes such as the Parish Development Model since most of their selected agriculture enterprises are in wetlands.

“The proposed alternatives for sustainable utilisation of wetlands by the government such as fish farming cannot be successful in Kigezi because of the cold environment. Besides, fish consumption is not an alternative food for the indigenous people who have been depending on local food crops such as potatoes, sorghum, beans, peas, and maize. There is need for thorough studies by the concerned government agencies before evicting Kigezi farmers,” Mr Muhangi said.

Mr Julius Arinaitwe, a farmer who doubles as an environmental scientist, said the colonial and subsequent governments allowed the people to use 60 percent of the wetlands in the area for farming activities because there was land shortage in the area as it was witnessed by people migrating to Ankole, Tooro and Bunyoro regions.

“The government should consider conservation of 40 percent of the wetlands that are still intact in Kigezi region, instead of forcefully evicting the farmers even without providing alternative land on which food crops and other economic activities can be practised,” Mr Arinaitwe said.

The Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma, said failure to vacate the wetlands would be a violation of the presidential directives.

“The government position remains that people must vacate wetlands and restore them. Unless it is changed for purposes of affirmative action for the people of Kigezi region, we shall continue to enforce it,” he said.

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