Farmers beg govt to extend their stay on Hoima Sugar Limited land
KIKUUBE– Over 150 farmers with crop farms established on Hoima Sugar Limited land have petitioned the Office of Kikuube Resident District Commissioner, Amlan Tumusiime, requesting to be given a grace period of at least six months to enable them to harvest their crops before they finally vacate.
The petition comes a few weeks after Kikuube security officials flashed out over 20000 encroachers from the company’s land. The encroachers had been cutting timber, burning charcoal, and growing maize, beans, and sorghum on the disputed land.
The land in question, measuring 22.4 square miles, was in 2017 leased to Hoima Sugar Limited for 99 years by Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom to grow sugarcane, a major raw material for manufacturing sugar.
After the security allowed their colleagues days ago to collect charcoal and timber, farmers are also seeking permission to be allowed to harvest their crops when they mature.
The residents led by Chairperson of Nyairongi Village Desire Nkurunziza, handed over a signed petition, requesting the RDC to engage Hoima Sugar Limited managers to allow them to look after their gardens as they prepare to harvest before the year-end.
Nkurunziza has accused some leaders from Kikuube local government of misleading and keeping them in the forest with the promise to offer them part of the contested land.
He said that most of his people have invested a lot of money in buying seeds, chemicals, labour, and hiring land.
He noted that forcing the farmers without harvesting their crops would be unfair and promised that they would commit themselves to a memorandum of understanding if they are allowed to harvest their food crops.
He denied claims of harassment made by some residents during the operation and called on security to investigate some of Kikuube district leaders for allegedly conniving with some criminals to cheat people of their money.
Fred Bwabale who claims to have 50 acres planted with crops, said they are ready to vacate the company’s land after they harvest their crops.
He said that he invested over Shs 30 million adding that pushing them from the land without harvesting will affect him financially and subject them to food insecurity.
Edison Matsiko, with 100 acres of maize, explained that he invested over Shs 50 mln in farming, adding that chasing him and other farmers from the land would be a total loss since they have not harvested crops.
Tumusiime promised to convene a meeting with the security committee before they could meet Hoima sugar limited management and discuss the matter.
“We are going to meet the bosses of Hoima sugar Limited and table the request of the residents to them, if they accept as the landlord we shall have no option but to allow them to go and look after their garden and harvest their crops,” he said.
However, days ago, the Minister of State for land, Sam Mayanja, asked Hoima Sugar Limited to consider compensating all the groups with gardens on the land.
The minister feared that allowing the group back on the land may turn into a challenge, explaining that some may refuse to leave the land after harvesting.
https://thecooperator.news/encroachers-forced-to-vacate-hoima-sugar-ltd-land/
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