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Residents of Muzira parish in Sheema district are relieved, at least for now, following a directive stopping a tea company from evicting them. 

Sheema Deputy Resident District Commissioner Sam Orikunda halted the eviction of the residents from land claimed by a tea company in Muzira parish in Kyangyenyi sub-county. 

The residents accuse Olympus Farms East Africa Ltd of encroaching on their land and the company of attempting to evict them.

Last year, Muzira Tukundane Growers Society rented 217 hectares of Kyangyenyi mountain land to Olympus Farms East Africa Ltd for 20 years to grow tea, but the company allegedly started encroaching on people's land.

While meeting residents yesterday at the land premises, Sam Orikunda noted that Olympus Farms East Africa Limited has no authority to evict people from the land they have been occupying for many years.

"The process of eviction takes time to be implemented even if there is a court order instructing the eviction. As district leaders, we cannot accept an investor to chase away people from the land they have been occupying for many years. Therefore, the right procedures must be followed" Sam Orikunda said.  

Mathias Ruhangariyo, who represented the company, asked the district leaders to provide land surveyors to open the boundaries of the land saying this will bring harmony between the residents and the company. 

"I ask the district authorities to provide surveyors to open boundaries for the land in question, I think this will bring harmony between us the company, and the residents".Mathias Ruhangariyo.