BUTALEJA – Leaders in Butaleja district have disagreed over the ongoing demarcation of wetlands in the area.
Government has embarked on boundary demarcation of Nakwasi wetlands in Butaleja district amid protests from rice farmers and leaders of the district.
The boundary demarcation is aimed at conserving the marshlands, which are disappearing due to encroachment.
Nakwasi is a trans-border wetland covering the districts of Butaleja, Budaka and Tororo.
This Reporter learnt that about 30,000 residents in the district are expected to be affected by the demarcation.
Whereas the district LC5 Chairperson, Michael Higenyi Bory is supporting the demarcation, the three MPs and local leaders are up in arms against the government for demarcating the wetlands.
Higenyi told this reporter during the launch of the Project days ago, that people had degraded the wetlands.
“When government comes up with a project that will help our people to utilise these wetlands sustainably, who am I to say no?” He said.
MP says demarcation illegal
But Bunyole East MP, Yusuf Mutembuli, termed the ongoing demarcation as an illegal exercise.
“Who has authorised the team from the Ministry of Water and Environment to go and evict my people from the swamp of Namulo, Nakwasi, Namatala, Leresi yet President Museveni has on several occasions stated that the people of Bukedi, Kigezi, and Busoga sub-regions should not be evicted from the swamp? Before alternatives are available, we are going nowhere. We are not aware of this project,” Mutembuli said.
Mutembuli, said people’s land are being illegally demarcated without their consent plus their prior knowledge.
“As MPs of Butaleja district, we are not aware of that project. We were never informed of any intended evictions by anyone in the district or the Ministry of Water and Environment. What’s this project about? Who lobbied for the project?” He said.
According to him, People have lived and survived on rice growing. “Those who are stopping our people from accessing the wetlands without the president’s directives are just the enemies of the government,” he said.
Mutembuli said the demarcation happened without the knowledge of the area Member of Parliaments in the district.
He said, President Museveni while addressing State of the Nation address on June.7.2022 at Kololo independence grounds, ordered security agencies and other organs to evict people from wetlands and exempt the three regions of Bukedi, Busoga and Kigezi until they are compensated.
Mutembuli added that President said those people should first be sensitized or prepare the affected farmers for another alternative source of livelihood.
“You can’t imagine the MPs and locals weren’t involved. Why would they start with Bukedi region? Have they provided any alternatives as of yet? No one should be evicted unless the above is fulfilled,” he said.
He asked his people not to leave the wetlands until they hear from Museveni.
The residents, mainly rice farmers who couldn’t hold back the tears, said they have opposed the government’s decision of banning the growing of rice and other crops in wetlands in the district, saying they should have been consulted.
Former MP contestant speaks out
David Mulabi, a rice farmer and former contestant for Bunyole East MP, said the decision is inhuman and one of the examples of the many discriminative and recklessly managed policy processes.
“The government has been giving out forests and wetlands to build industries. They have not said anything about urban encroachment on wetlands for home construction,” he said. “Why target the poor farmers who have nowhere to go and have been farming in these wetlands for over 70 years?” Mulabi wondered.
He said such a policy with a huge potential for social impact should have gone through long studies and consultations before its implemented.
Mulabi said this could be another government ploy to marginalise the rice farmers in the district, which is about 40 per cent covered by water bodies and wetlands.
“They simply need to drop the whole thing and start afresh with proper policy consultation with a view of not evicting farmers but to get sustainable and practical solutions,” he said.
Mulabi also accused the government for giving a tax waiver to traders to import rice, something he said has led to price drop and has affected the farmers’ income.
“Instead of giving such money to our farmers to improve output, they supported foreign farmers at the expense of Ugandan farmers,” he said.
Some of the residents asked the government to first evict industries such as Mbale industry park which was constructed in the swamp.
The residents made the remarks in three different meetings organized by Bunyole East MP, Mr Yusuf Mutembuli in the affected Sub-counties of Butaleja, Himutu and Butaleja Town Council.
Moses Wegulo, a resident of Butesa village, Nakwasi Parish, said they have used the land since the 1940s.
He, however, insists that the ongoing demarcation is a ploy to grab the wetland.
“We don’t know what they are demarcating. This is a plot to grab our land which we shall not accept. We are ready to die because of our land,” Wegulo said.
He said the decision will affect their livelihoods and push them further into poverty.
Gov’t project to protect wetlands ongoing
The government through the ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is currently implementing an eight-year project [2017-2025] titled “Building resilient communities, wetlands ecosystems and associated catchments in Uganda”.
The project is being implemented with financial support from the Green Climate Fund [GCF] in 24 districts of Western and Eastern regions.
Bisia Wiwo, councillor representing Namolo perish, said people in the area majorly depend on wetlands.
“These wetlands are paying school fees for our children and myself. I was educated through rice growing. The government should think of better ways of improving on the standards, instead of taking decisions without consulting us,” she said.
Most residents generate income from use of wetlands!
Wilson Mugole, Himutu Sub-county NRM Chairperson, said 98 per cent of the population in the area generate their income through use of these wetlands.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s the NRM government evicting our people from wetlands. Other people live and sleep in wetlands. The wetland bill came and found us using and staying in these wetlands,” Wilson said.
He said the residents need to be sensitised fully to understand the importance of the project.
“The residents were not sensitised. The residents have a right to protest because they do not understand the project,” he said.
The demarcation exercise of wetlands is headed by the Ministry of Water and Environment.
This reporter learnt that the swamps Nakwasi, Namulo, Leresi, Hijinji, and Hisega are one of the wetlands that are earmarked for restoration in the district.
Abolishing rice growing is an attack on culture!
Frederick Dongo-Shema a monitoring and evaluation specialist, considers the government’s move to abolish rice growing, their backbone of livelihood, as an attack on their culture.
Dongo who is also the President, Association of Biology Educators said the move announced by the government evoked boiling anger among the Banyole and fiercest resistance from farmers.
“Rice growing in Bunyole is equivalent to cattle keeping among the Banyankore. From all aspects; environmental, socio-economic, public health or politics, the sudden abolition of rice growing to concentrate on fish farming doesn’t make sense to the over 15,000 farmers who are cultivating rice in 4,000 hectares of Doho Rice Irrigation Scheme and thousands of processing factories,” he said.
Museveni on growing rice in wetlands
President Museveni asserts that wetland rice growing has become unproductive, citing negative environmental concerns.
“As farmers strive to search for enhanced productivity, production and profit increasing techniques and methods, it looks like some agricultural policymakers are only interested in crafting policies that attract funding of unsustainable white elephant projects and programmes. This most likely is aimed at enabling access to and expropriation of public funds with selfish motives,” he said.
He said rice is both a food crop and cash crop.
“it is inconceivable why government officials are pushing for only fish farming that worsens food insecurity while ignoring rice–fish integration, which promotes sustained soil health, organism biodiversity, food and economic productivity and production sustainability,” he said.
Many people believe that there might be a syndicate to increase the market for imported rice, monopolised by companies owned by bigshots or to prepare for an “investor” to take over fish farming.
Currently, the agricultural productivity is 2,000–2,500 kilogrammes milled rice per hectare in Doho remain.
“By banning rice growing without alternative food sources, the country faces two profoundly serious crises, one of which is already upon us with the other scheduled to arrive within months. The first is the shortage of rice, and the other is the imminent explosion in the prices of imported rice. Two challenges will also impede fish farming alone without rice. One is the soaring environmental temperatures in eastern Uganda, associated with rapid evaporation of water from bare fish ponds. The other is high concentration of ammonia excreted by fish, turning water alkaline. All these can be checked by growing rice plants in the ponds,” he said.
He asked the government to equip farmers and the general population with knowledge, skills and finances to adopt the rice-fish system.
“This should include how to prepare fields, how to plant rice and stock fish, and how to deal with invasive [unwanted] fish and creating water sources during drought,” he said.
During the launch of restoration, Deo Kabaalu, a Wetlands officer in the Ministry of Water and Environment in charge of the Eastern region, said they are opening the boundary with the aim of stopping environmental degradation.
“After demarcating the wetlands, we will put in projects that will help communities to boost their agriculture production. This will mitigate climate to boost agricultural activities to fight poverty in families,” he said.
He said they are opening about 50kms in three sub-counties.
LCI Chairpersons speak out
Jimmy Hadosi, LCI Chairperson of Butesa “B” village, Butaleja Sub-county, said if the government wants them to vacate, it should consider compensating them first.
“We want the government to compensate us before we leave, this is where most of us have been surviving from, so where does the government want us to start from,” Hadosi said.
According to him the wetlands have minimized crimes in the district.
Hadosi accused some of their local leaders of conniving with the Ministry to forcefully demarcate their land.
John Habanja, the Nambale Village LCI Chairperson in Butaleja Sub-county, said the decision should be shelved, saying they earn their livelihoods from wetlands.
“These wetlands have paid for our children’s school fees including myself. They should think of better ways instead of taking decisions without consulting us,” he said.
Serwano Mwima, another LCI Chairperson Jabusiba Village, said almost 90 per cent of the homesteads of the population in the district generate their income through the wetlands.
“Others live and sleep in wetlands. How will the government handle those who sleep and stay in wetlands,” Mwima asked.
He said during the demarcation the local leader chairpersons were not allowed to say anything.
“We will not vacate the wetlands because this is where we earn our livelihood. The government should rethink and abandon this exercise,” he said.
Butaleja district has many swamps
Butaleja district has many swamps, which includes Doho rice scheme, Lwoba irrigation scheme, Nakwasi, Hijjinji, Wampala, Namatala, Mpologoma, Nakwiga, Nahinghande, Doho-hibira, Namatala, and Hisega, among others.
Uganda’s wetland coverage has dropped from 17.5 per cent in the early 1990s to 8.5 per cent, while forest coverage has dropped from 24 per cent to 12.4 per cent.
https://thecooperator.news/soroti-wetland-encroachers-given-ultimatum-to-vacate/
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