No Pay For Encroachers
Oct 02, 2002
THE Minister of lands, water and environment, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, told Parliament on Tuesday that the Government does not compensate encroachers on forest and game reserves.
By Vision Reporters
THE Minister of lands, water and environment, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, told Parliament on Tuesday that the Government does not compensate encroachers on forest and game reserves.
Rugunda was reacting to a question from Lukia Isanga (Woman Mayuge) as to when government would compensate peasants who lost trees and crops in Bukaleba Forest Reserve when it was handed over to a German investor in 1996.
Rugunda said the forest department allowed the encroachers to stay in the forest reserve for three months to harvest their crops.
He said the Government involves the affected people and civic leaders in the demarcation of forest reserves.
He said it was also agreed that 500 hectares of Bukaleba be given to people to plant trees under the Government’s afforestation programme.
Rugunda denied that government had created a feudal lord and turned Ugandans who previously owned the land into surfs for the German investor.
Isanga said the German demands sh30,000 per year and a bag of maize per season from the peasants who use his land.
She said some of the people evicted from Bukaleba and Bute Island had land titles.
Ends
THE Minister of lands, water and environment, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, told Parliament on Tuesday that the Government does not compensate encroachers on forest and game reserves.
Rugunda was reacting to a question from Lukia Isanga (Woman Mayuge) as to when government would compensate peasants who lost trees and crops in Bukaleba Forest Reserve when it was handed over to a German investor in 1996.
Rugunda said the forest department allowed the encroachers to stay in the forest reserve for three months to harvest their crops.
He said the Government involves the affected people and civic leaders in the demarcation of forest reserves.
He said it was also agreed that 500 hectares of Bukaleba be given to people to plant trees under the Government’s afforestation programme.
Rugunda denied that government had created a feudal lord and turned Ugandans who previously owned the land into surfs for the German investor.
Isanga said the German demands sh30,000 per year and a bag of maize per season from the peasants who use his land.
She said some of the people evicted from Bukaleba and Bute Island had land titles.
Ends