Occupants of Sango Bay land evicted, some relocate to Tanzania
Armed Security Personnel guarding an excavator that is being used to demolish structures on Sango-bay land in Kyotera. Photo | URN
What you need to know:
- These are part of over 10,000 people whom the government ordered off the land to pave way for the palm oil tree growing project.
Hundreds of residents in the sub-counties of Kabira, Kyebe, and Kakuuto in Kyotera District are crossing the borders into neighbouring Tanzania as government evicts them from the former Sango Bay Sugar Estates.
These are part of over 10,000 people whom the government ordered off the land to pave way for the palm oil tree growing project.
Early this year, the government embarked on a process to repossess 247 square miles of land in the area, to have it used for the expansion of the National Oil Palm Oil Project which is implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries.
Apparently, some of the affected occupants mainly pastoralists are crossing to the neighbouring Republic of Tanzania through the porous routes after they failed to find alternative settlements within Uganda.
Mr Felix Muhweeza and Mr Patrick Kabogo some of the evicted residents whom this reporter found pondering the next course of action at Bitembe village in Kyebe Sub County, said security officers enforcing the eviction orders gave them up to April 15, to leave or have their properties destroyed.
Mr Kabogo said that many of his colleagues are desperate after their hopes of being compensated or relocated to other places by the Ugandan government failed and that they are left with no option but to find alternative areas where they can settle.
Out of over 10,000 residents, the government identified only 300 people who qualified for status bonafide occupants who are now awaiting compensation.
Mr Muhweeza confirmed that some pastoralists together with herds of cattle are crossing into Tanzania in the guise of looking for pastures and are seeking refuge in areas of Kagera.
Mr Gonzaga Ndawula, the Kyotera District Councillor representing Kyebe Sub County said the majority of the affected residents are now finding their way out of the land for fear of the security operatives who were deployed in the area to clear the land.
“Whereas some of the residents were not legitimate occupants who had no formal documents of ownership, they had stayed on the land for decades. I’m wondering why the government didn’t consider the option of resettling them as citizens,” he said.
“We actually don’t know what will happen to them in the areas they are relocating to. These were productive communities, the government ought to have catered for them instead of rendering them homeless,” Mr Ndawula pleads.
Mr Richard Kalanzi, the Kabira Sub County Chairperson also pleaded with government to reserve a portion of the land for resettling those who have no other option instead of forcing them to flee to Tanzania where they may also be repulsed.
“Besides those that crossing into Tanzania, many of the affected persons are moving to other areas within Kyotera District. This is going to increase land conflicts in the area,” he said.
Mr Ambrose Musasizi, the Kyotera District Communications Officer said they are yet to receive information about people relocating to Tanzania.
He, however, could also not tell the whereabouts of the residents who have been evicted. But the Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Matte, who is leading a combined force that is clearing the land, said these were encroachers who were asked to return to their original homes.
