Mt. Elgon squatters petition IGG over land
Oct 06, 2008
Over 200 Ndorobo who were evicted from Mt. Elgon National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG).
By Daniel Edyegu
Over 200 Ndorobo who were evicted from Mt. Elgon National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG).
They want the IGG to investigate the Bukwo resident district commissioner, Christopher Chepkurui and 27 civil servants who were charged with their resettlement.
The petitioners accused Chepkurui, who was the chairperson of the resettlement committee and the civil servants of grabbing part of the 400 acres that were allocated to them on Mt. Elgon for resettlement.
The September 16 petition was copied to the local government ministry and the parliamentary sectoral committee.
Charles Walimbwa, the eastern regional chairman of the Uganda Local Government Association, on Saturday led a team to probe the reports and reconcile the district leadership with the petitioners.
Chepkurui denied grabbing land. He told the team that the petitioners were being pressured by some politicians to tarnish his image. He declined to name the politicians.
He said 56 Ndorobo families had so far been resettled on part of the land in the Mt. Elgon forest.
Between March and April, the minister of trade and industry, Janat Mukwaya, held two separate meetings with district leaders from Kapchorwa and Bukwo to discuss ways of preventing encroachment on the park.
Mukwaya directed UWA to degazette some land to resettle the Ndorobo in Bukwo and the Benet in Kapchorwa.
The Benet have been displaced by cattle rustlers from Karamoja.
Over 200 Ndorobo who were evicted from Mt. Elgon National Park by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) have petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG).
They want the IGG to investigate the Bukwo resident district commissioner, Christopher Chepkurui and 27 civil servants who were charged with their resettlement.
The petitioners accused Chepkurui, who was the chairperson of the resettlement committee and the civil servants of grabbing part of the 400 acres that were allocated to them on Mt. Elgon for resettlement.
The September 16 petition was copied to the local government ministry and the parliamentary sectoral committee.
Charles Walimbwa, the eastern regional chairman of the Uganda Local Government Association, on Saturday led a team to probe the reports and reconcile the district leadership with the petitioners.
Chepkurui denied grabbing land. He told the team that the petitioners were being pressured by some politicians to tarnish his image. He declined to name the politicians.
He said 56 Ndorobo families had so far been resettled on part of the land in the Mt. Elgon forest.
Between March and April, the minister of trade and industry, Janat Mukwaya, held two separate meetings with district leaders from Kapchorwa and Bukwo to discuss ways of preventing encroachment on the park.
Mukwaya directed UWA to degazette some land to resettle the Ndorobo in Bukwo and the Benet in Kapchorwa.
The Benet have been displaced by cattle rustlers from Karamoja.