Police orders people to vacate forest reserve

The Police on Wednesday (March 19) ordered over 500 people to vacate a government forest reserve in Mukono district, where they had camped, claiming it had been given to them by President Yoweri Museveni.  

This followed a mass movement of people Wednesday morning, who were ferried in taxis and coasters, and camped in a gazetted forest reserve in Namyoga village, Goma Division, ready to allocate themselves plots.

People from Bukasa in Bweyogerere, Kira Municipality and other places camped on a gazetted forest reserve in Namyoga village, Goma Division, ready to allocate themselves plots.Photo by Madinah Nalwanga

They moved from Bukasa in Bweyogerere, Kira Municipality and majority of them had been living in the inland Bukasa Port project area, but Government compensated and asked them to leave to pave way for the multi-billion scheme. 

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Luke Owoyesigyire, said the Police were deployed in the area and after some engagement, picked two of the group leaders, including Sowedi Ssemakadde.

He said the group later met the resident district commissioner (RDC), Fatuma Ndesaba.

However, the works minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala, was later briefed about the development and he said the action of taking over government land was criminal and illegal.

He directed the RDC and the Police to handle the matter, saying the ministry had not authorised anybody to settle on the forest reserve. 

The ministry spokesperson, Susan Kataike, said the minister acknowledged that there was a letter written to the President by the project-affected persons (PAPs), but he did not authorise them to take over government land.

“The minister clarified that the letter instructed the ministry to ensure that those who were due for compensation were paid,” Kataike explained.

She added that majority of the people who were in the project area were dully compensated, apart from a few, saying they would as well be paid when the money is availed. 

Kataike said in an earlier communication, the President said the people who had settled in Bukasa would be compensated for their developments, but not for the land because they had encroached on public property. 

The group leaders showed the Police a letter dated February 17, 2022 and signed by Dr Kenneth Omona, the principal private secretary to the President and addressed to the works minister.

But the Police rejected the letter, saying it did not clear them to take over government land anywhere. 

Dr Omona forwarded the letter, titled; “Appeal to his Excellency the President by the people affected by Bukasa Inland Port project”, to the minister for further management.

The Bukasa LC1 chairperson, John Kaddu, when contacted, said although the Police had ordered them to leave, people were not willing to return to Bukasa since the project was about to start.

He said all their houses had been condemned and marked with letter ‘X’.

“We have already settled here, people have bought food and came with all their belongings and saucepans to start cooking,” he said.

“They were given very little money, between sh5m and sh10m, which they have been spending.

They cannot purchase land elsewhere, that is why we want to stay here,” Kaddu said.

At least over 2,000 people who had settled on the project land were told to vacate.

The National Forestry Authority officials were seen in the area in the company of military escorts, but they were overwhelmed by the number of people they found on the land.

The development of the inland port has dragged on since 2015 due to contention over the ownership of the 500 acres of land earmarked for the project.