Veterans evicted from Port Bell
Apr 26, 2005
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) and the National Environment mana-gement Authority (NEMA) yesterday evicted 326 veterans from Kakyanga wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria in Port Bell, a city suburb.
By Steven Candia
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) and the National Environment mana-gement Authority (NEMA) yesterday evicted 326 veterans from Kakyanga wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria in Port Bell, a city suburb.
KCC law enforcement personnel and policemen from Jinja Road Police Station ejected the veterans, citing environmental degradation.
In the one-hour operation, several eucalyptus trees were cut down, gardens of maize, tomatoes, cabbages and eggplants were either slashed or uprooted.
Wooden structures were burnt down.
Nine veterans under the Port Bell Veterans Development Company were arrested for resisting eviction. The veterans had embarked on fish farming and had sunk a fishpond in addition to horticulture.
Pheobe Gubya, the KCC environment officer, yesterday said the wetland was within the 200-metre protected zone of the lake region in which no activity is allowed to take place.
“It is supposed to be a wetland and no activity is allowed there,†she said.
Jinja Road Police Station commander Wilson Kwanya said they worked on orders from NEMA and KCC.
“They even planted eucalyptus trees which suck a lot of water,†Kwanya said, adding that the veterans had only applied to set up a fish landing site.
However, the veterans said they were victims of a witch-hunt, accusing KCC of frustrating their efforts to fight poverty.
KAMPALA City Council (KCC) and the National Environment mana-gement Authority (NEMA) yesterday evicted 326 veterans from Kakyanga wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria in Port Bell, a city suburb.
KCC law enforcement personnel and policemen from Jinja Road Police Station ejected the veterans, citing environmental degradation.
In the one-hour operation, several eucalyptus trees were cut down, gardens of maize, tomatoes, cabbages and eggplants were either slashed or uprooted.
Wooden structures were burnt down.
Nine veterans under the Port Bell Veterans Development Company were arrested for resisting eviction. The veterans had embarked on fish farming and had sunk a fishpond in addition to horticulture.
Pheobe Gubya, the KCC environment officer, yesterday said the wetland was within the 200-metre protected zone of the lake region in which no activity is allowed to take place.
“It is supposed to be a wetland and no activity is allowed there,†she said.
Jinja Road Police Station commander Wilson Kwanya said they worked on orders from NEMA and KCC.
“They even planted eucalyptus trees which suck a lot of water,†Kwanya said, adding that the veterans had only applied to set up a fish landing site.
However, the veterans said they were victims of a witch-hunt, accusing KCC of frustrating their efforts to fight poverty.