Over 1,000 evicted in Hoima over oil

By Henry Sekanjako

OVER 1,000 people are homeless after they were evicted from their customary land in Rwamuntonga Village Katanga Parish, Bugambe Sub -County Hoima district, to pave way for the construction of an oil waste treatment facility.

Some of the evicted people who comprise of over 100 families are currently camped on a piece of land that was provided to them by good samaritans.

According to Nelson Atich the parish chairperson for Katanga, on August 25, the Police armed with rifles, batons and, teargas canisters, demolished houses that had been erected on a 700 hectare piece of land leaving the people homeless.

Atich said prior to the eviction, the evicted people had been battling with the owners of the land, tycoon Joshua Tibaingana and Robert Bansigaraho, since 2012.

“We are now pursuing a legal line so that we can take these people back to the land, however we are constrained by resources every step you go to its money,” said Atich.

Addressing Hoima district woman MP Tophace Kaahwa and officials from Action Aid Uganda who last week took relief aid to the affected families, Atich said they had settled for legal action to ensure the resettlement of the locals.

Speaking to the affected families, Kaahwa regretted the eviction of the locals saying there was urgent need to resettle the locals who she said have lived on the land for over 20 years.

She noted that ever since their eviction, there hasn’t been any intervention by government to help the evicted families.

“Government should come and rescue these people, there are lots of pregnant women among these people who are not accessing antenatal care because there are no services, they have nothing to eat and the children are all malnourished,” said Kaahwa.

Hoima district LC5 chairperson George Bagonza said that even as oil was an important resource, there was need to protect the locals from being displaced.

“We want investments that come with order not antagonizing the lives of people. As we get into these oil activities we have a role to play as government,” said Bagonza.

The Residential District Commissioner (RDC) Godfrey Nyakahuma condemned the eviction of the locals saying the law was not followed.

“We don’t support this eviction because the law was not followed, they should have compensated or resettled these people before evicting them. And to make matters worse no court order was given prior to their eviction. Land owners should learn to respect squatters,” said Nyakahuma.

“We are badly off, our children are suffering from constant Malaria and cough, they cannot access health services like immunization,” said one of the affected people.

Charles Karal another affected person said; “we are drinking water from open water ponds, we need safe water and latrine coverage, we only have three latrines”.

During the visit to the camp in Rwamutongo, Action Aid through its program ‘Oil in Uganda’ donated food among other relief items worth sh50m to the affected families.

“We want to ensure that these people attain justice in courts of law so that they live a decent life, either by re-accessing their former homeland or attaining fair compensation,” said Fredrick Kawooya the policy manager Action Aid.

The residents and the land owners are battling for the land in suits 001 of 2012 and 033 of 2012 at Masindi High Court.

Efforts to speak to the land owners by the New Vision were futile as they could not be reached for a comment.