Encroachers forced to vacate Hoima Sugar Ltd land
KIKUUBE. Security agencies in the Bunyoro region days ago ordered more than 20,000 people who had encroached on Hoima Sugar Limited land to vacate.
The encroachers were allowed to take with them their timbers and charcoal from Nyairongo Kabwoya sub-county Kikuube district.
The land in question measuring 22.4 square miles was offered to Hoima Sugar Limited by Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom in 2017 for a lease of 99-years, to grow sugarcane.
The National Forestry Authority [NFA] dragged Hoima Sugar Company Limited to Court challenging the occupancy claiming that the land was part of Bugoma forest reserve.
However, on 25th April 2019, Masindi High Court ruled that Hoima Sugar Limited was the rightful occupant of the 22 square miles’ land.
This ruling attracked massive protests from the residents and environmental activists across the globe that included European Union [EU] Ambassadors.
Such protests forced the National Environmental Management Authority [NEMA] to deny Hoima Sugar Company Limited, 13 square miles and allowed it only nine square miles out of the 21 square miles, which NEMA deemed fit for human activity since it was grassland [no forest cover].
As they battled in court, more than 20,000 people from different districts such as Buyende, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Busiya, Igaga, Rakai, Bugiri and Ntugamo among others encroached on the land and they have been in the forest since last year cutting timber and burning charcoal and others had started growing maize and sorghum in gardens which had been prepared by Hoima Sugar Limited.
Recently the management of Hoima Sugar Limited petitioned Kikuube Resident District Commissioner [RDC] Amlan Tumusiime complaining that people had encroached on more than five square mile of land cutting timber and burning charcoal hindering their efforts to clear the land for sugarcane growing.
Following the petition from Hoima Sugar Limited demanding the encroachers to be removed from land, the district security committee and the joint regional security committee convened a meeting and resolved that the groups should vacate.
The district security committee wrote to the State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja and informed him about their resolution and in turn the Minister okayed the eviction of the group from the investor’s land.
Last week, police together with Uganda People’s Defence Forces [UPDF] implemented the resolution and flashed out the encroachers out of the land.
However, some of the evictees petitioned RDC Tumusiime seeking permission to take their timber and charcoal.
The district security teams led by RDC Tumusiime and the Buhaguzi Member of Parliament, Francis Kazini visited the area and allowed the group to pick their charcoal.
Godfrey Batayire, one of the encroachers from Mayuge and Apolo Barigya from Kakumiro districts said, they were ready to vacate since they had been allowed to take their timber and charcoal.
They accused some leaders from Kikuube district of misleading and keeping them in the forest by promising to offer them land in the forest.
They accused district leaders whose names have not been exposed because of the security purpose of extorting money from them.
RDC Tumusiime denied the claims of TULIPONA members that people were evicted from their land adding that all the people who were evicted were on the investors land.
He accused the members of Kikuube district executive committee for teaming up with the encroachers to grab the investor’s land.
“We did not evict anyone from his land, the people who were told to vacate were on forested land, a piece of land that was leased to Hoima Sugar Limited. There is no house, school, health facility, and water sources. How can someone claim that he has lived here for 30 years,” he explained.
MP Kazini warned the Kikuube district leaders against misleading people on land ownership, adding that now it’s clear the land in question is kingdom land.
He described such leaders as corrupt and called for investigation to expose them to ensure peace and elopement in the district.
“All of us know that the court made a ruling on this land and this ruling has not changed. I wonder why some leaders are continuing to hoodwink the people instead of telling them the truth,” Kazine noted.
Julius Hakiiza, Albertine police Spokesperson said, residents were engaged and moved out of the land voluntarily and denied claims of torture, harassment and death during the eviction.
He added that for security reasons, police started profiling the groups in the area and are now hunting for the Chairman TULIPONA Veteran’s Association, one Gideon for forgery of Kingdom documents.
He added that during the operation, security arrested three people for allegedly having forged documents claiming that the Kingdom had offered them the pieces of land that was leased to Hoima Sugar Limited.
https://thecooperator.news/hoima-sugar-company-limited-compensates-four-families/
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