KAMPALA, November 16, 2023 – The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among has directed the Minister of Gender Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, to present a detailed report on land owned by Persons With Disabilities [PWDs], now at risk of being illegally given to unnamed investors.
Among’s directive followed complaints from Members of Parliament alleging that, land in Lweza, Wakiso district belonging to PWDs is at the risk of being grabbed with the knowledge of the minister.
“The Minister [Amongi] should present a comprehensive report on all land owned by PWDs, because the complaints are not only in Lweza but other areas,” she said as the chaired the plenary sitting yesterday.
The MPs made the allegations while responding to a government statement on the commemoration of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, presented by State Minister for PWD, Hellen Asamo.
The national celebrations for the International Day of PWDs will be held in Mbarara district, under the theme “the role of innovation in disability inclusion” on December 3, 2023.
The PWD representative in parliament, Laura Kanushu, said she had a copy of the letter purportedly written by President Museveni, instructing minister Among to give out four acres of land for PWDs in Lweza to an investor.
She also said that she has another letter from minister Among instructing the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, to distribute more than four acres of land to investors.
“We would like to get clarity from government on when the PWDs started providing land to investors, because the threats of land grabbing are also reported in Mbale, Naguru and Kampala,” said Kanushu.
Mpindi Bumali also a PWD representative in parliament attested to Kanushu’s assertion, saying his counterparts are in fear over reports of land grabbing at the hands of their line ministry.
“As we plan to celebrate the International PWD day, we have concerns, we have information that the minister of gender is conniving with somebody to grab our land in Lweza,” Bumali said.
The same report was given by the chairperson of the Committee on Gender, Labour and Social Development, Flavia Kabahenda, who said that the land in Naguru meant for children with PWDs was at risk of being lost by the rightful owners.
Kabahenda in response to the minister’s statement, called on government to revise the tax on pampers saying the current tax is deterrent to the already disadvantaged persons.
“The people with spinal bifida live on pampers, there are PWDs who depend on pampers from birth to death, the elderly people also live on pampers, we need to revisit the levy on pampers,” he said.
Minister Asamo in her statement on the commemoration of the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, expressed the need to explore the local production of affordable organic diapers, among other materials, to strengthen accessible care for children with this category of disability.
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