Muntu to resettle the landless Buvuma Island fishermen

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Presidential candidate Maj. Gen. (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu says, once he is voted into power, he will resettle landless fishermen in Buvuma Island who claim to have lost their ancestral lands to government forest reserves. 

The fishermen, who have been struggling to make a living after being stopped from fishing in Lake Victoria by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF)'s Fisheries Protection Unity (FPU), are seeking compensation in the form of money or resettlement in other areas in exchange for their lost lands.

Christopher Wandera Okello accuses the soldiers of destroying fishing gear belonging to the fishermen, prompting President Yoweri Museveni to assure them that their equipment would be returned.

While campaigning in Buliisa district recently, President Museveni insisted that the UPDF would not be withdrawn from guarding lakes anytime soon due to insecurity in the neighbouring Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), currently harbouring the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.

“I direct that all fishermen whose fishing gears were confiscated, boats, nets and engines must have their property returned starting today (Friday, December 12, 2025) without paying any fees,” Museveni said.

Muntu greeting supporters during the campaign trail. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)

Muntu during the campaign trail. (Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)

(Credit: Isaac Nuwagaba)

More than just a return of the gear

However, many landless fishermen are demanding more than just the return of their fishing gears. They are seeking compensation for their lost lands and livelihoods, with some asking for resettlement in other areas.

“They stopped us from constructing permanent buildings here in Kasaali B village, Namugombe parish, Nairambi sub-county in Buvuma district insisting that this land belongs to the National Forestry Authority (NFA) yet it belongs to our ancestors,” Wandela said.

To push us here, we must first get compensation from the Government because it reserves that right as the state and the Constitution directs but we need compensation first," Wandela added.

Area LC1 chairperson Abdu Onzima also asked the Government to return properties of the fishermen who were earning a livelihood from the lake saying that too much poverty is threatening the security of the area.

“The youth need jobs but the lakes are occupied by the army. We need alternative livelihoods because both the poor and the rich on this Island are feeling insecure day by day,” Onzima observed.

Muntu promises to resettle the landless

Muntu's promise to resettle the landless fishermen comes amidst tensions between the fishing community and the government over fishing regulations and land ownership.

“The Government has been trying to curb overfishing and protect the environment, but fishermen argue that they are being unfairly targeted and are not being provided with alternative livelihoods, which must be attended to,” Muntu, who is the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party flag-bearer, said.

“When I am elected President, I will first return the army to the barracks because they are not trained to measure the size of fishing nets or even kill fish, which are not, in this case, rebels,” Muntu stated.

Army will only do intelligence gathering on lakes

However, I will maintain the army on Lake Albert and Lake Edward, which share borders with the DRC. These will be doing only intelligence gathering work, but not to engage in the fishing business, Muntu assured.

The issue of land ownership is also a contentious one, with some areas of Buvuma Island being claimed by the National Forestry Authority (NFA) as forest reserves, while local leaders argue that the land is public and should be allocated to the community.

Sarah Namuyanga, a businesswoman dealing in fishing, said she lost her eight boats when the UPDF destroyed them, claiming that her two engines, which the soldiers took, sold them off to another island.

“I lost my business, and my two engines which were selling at shillings eight million each were later taken and sold off. We hear that President Yoweri Museveni directed that they give us back our fishing equipment but we need compensation because they were destroyed,” Namuyanga lamented.

Muntu's promise has given hope to the landless fishermen, who are eager to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.