One shot in Buseruka forest evictions
Aug 19, 2008
A 50-year-old man was yesterday shot and injured during an eviction of 300 families from Kijumba forest reserve in Buseruka sub-county, Hoima district.
A 50-year-old man was yesterday shot and injured during an eviction of 300 families from Kijumba forest reserve in Buseruka sub-county, Hoima district.
The operation, which was carried out by National Forestry Authority (NFA) officials backed by the Police, left Paul Isingoma injured in the arm and admitted to Hoima hospital.
Residents, including the Buseruka LC3 chairman, Fred Magambo, said several huts and over 10 sheds for tobacco were burnt.
Kijumba village in Kabale parish is about 50km from Hoima town and very close to Lake Albert.
“I am feeling a lot of pain and I don’t even know how they brought me here (hospital) but I remember I approached three policemen who were holding guns and asked them what they wanted from our village. The next thing I heard was a gun shot,†Isingoma said on his hospital bed.
He said this was the second time in less than two months that NFA has raided their area to evict them on grounds that they were living in a forest reserve.
“We are about 300 families and we have been here for several years. Others have even been here for 30 years but NFA wants to grab our land. In July, they came and burnt our huts. We reported to the RDC and the district chairman,†he said
Isingoma who was talking with difficulty also said: “We are appealing to the government to help us because these people (NFA) have left us homeless and have destroyed our plantations yet the land is ours.â€
The security agencies began evicting people from protected areas after President Yoweri Museveni ordered that encroachers be evicted from protected areas. The most affected areas were Semliki wildlife reserve, Mount Elgon and Queen Elizabeth national parks.
Army spokesman Maj. Paddy Ankunda yesterday said the exercise had been concluded successfully.
“We arrested a number of encroachers plus their cattle. The operation ended. In fact, the reserves are now vacant,†Ankunda said.
The Hoima district Police commander, Martin Muwanika, said the policeman shot the victim in self defence.
“Our policeman were attacked by a mob and wanted lynch him. He had to open fire to defend himself,†Muwanika explained.
He added that four suspects had been arrested and spears and pangas recovered from them. “But we have released them on Police bond.â€
David Mununuzi, a forestry official, said the group that was living in the protected forest reserve had been warned several times to leave.