Museveni visit sparks hope for land evictees
Some of the residents who were evicted from Kyangwali Refugee Settlement at the office of the resident district commissioner in Kikuube District in June 2023. Photo/Alex Tumuhimbise
What you need to know:
- Mr John Balisimaki, the chairperson of the IDP camp in Kikuube Town Council, said the displaced residents have lived in harsh conditions for more than 10 years.
- Mr Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident Commissioner, said he is hopeful that the President’s involvement will bring a lasting solution for the displaced residents.
Thousands of evicted residents of Bukinda in Kyangwali Sub-County, Kikuube District, are hoping that President Museveni’s visit on May 23 will finally end their 13-year struggle to be resettled.
The President was invited to Kabwooya Parish by the State Minister for Public Service, Ms Grace Mary Mugasa, for a thanksgiving event.
Local leaders say if the President attends, they will have a chance to explain the situation of more than 60,000 people from Kasonga Parish who were evicted in 2012 by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which accused them of settling illegally on Kyangwali Refugee Settlement Camp land.
The leaders are hopeful that President Museveni will solve the problem they have faced for over a decade.
"The people of Bukinda have been in the camp for several years since OPM evicted them. I want to call for a permanent solution to this matter. I urge the President to look into this issue and ensure that locals are resettled," Mr Vincent Opio, the vice chairperson of Kikuube District, said during a meeting with other leaders on May 7.
The meeting was organised to plan for the President’s visit. He said the evictees, who have been living in temporary camps since they were displaced, moved from place to place several times before finally settling in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Kikuube Town Council.
Although Kikuube’s Woman Member of Parliament, Ms Flora Natumanya, has tried to help by allocating land, the problem is still not solved.
Mr Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident Commissioner, said he is hopeful that the President’s involvement will bring a lasting solution for the displaced residents.
“I have compiled a report regarding the Bukinda evictees, which I will present to the President. During the Parish Development Model (PDM) tour in Bunyoro, the President instructed me to compile this report and submit it to his office,” he said.
Mr John Balisimaki, the chairperson of the IDP camp in Kikuube Town Council, said the displaced residents have lived in harsh conditions for more than 10 years.
He added that the President’s visit will bring them relief if he offers a solution to their problem.
“We are enduring severe challenges, including poor hygiene, lack of clean water sources, substandard living conditions, and hunger,” he explained.
Ms Scola Tumwesigye, one of the affected residents, expressed concerns about limited access to essential services.
“We lack access to schools, hospitals, and other government facilities. This has forced many of our children to drop out of school,” she revealed.
Ms Mugasa said: “Bunyoro Sub-region is grappling with rampant cases of land grabbing, and I believe the President should act as an arbitrator to help resolve these disputes.”
In 2016, President Museveni gave a directive to the OPM to resettle and compensate the evicted residents.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja instructed the refugee camp leaders to stop giving out land to new refugees until the ongoing conflict is resolved.
Issue
"The people of Bukinda have been in the camp for several years since OPM evicted them. I want to call for a permanent solution to this matter. I urge the President to look into this issue and ensure that locals are resettled," Vincent Opio, the vice chairperson of Kikuube District.
