KIKUUBE– The State Minister for Lands, Dr. Sam Mayanja has restored hope for 300 families living in Kigyayo Internally displaced people’s [IDP] camp in Kizirafumbi Sub-county, Kikuube district after he directed that they be compensated for being evicted from disputed land.
The residents were in 2014 evicted from the land measuring 1,557 hectares after the late Prince Hebert Kimera Rwakiswaza who claimed to be the rightful owner of the land leased it to Hoima Sugar Limited to set up a sugarcane plantation and factory.
The affected residents are from Muzirandura, Kyabataka B and A, Kyakasoro, and Nyawante among others in Kiziranfumbi Sub-county which is currently planted with sugarcane.
After the eviction, the 300 families who are part of the 50,000 residents who claimed rightful ownership of the land set up makeshift huts on church land in Kinjayo village where they have lived since 2014.
The evictees have been living in congested makeshift huts but also don’t have social amenities such as schools, health facilities, water, and food.
They told the minister that on July 2, 2014, the then Masindi high court Judge, Justice Simon Byabakama, issued an interim court order, restricting Rwakiswaza and his agents from evicting them until when court decided the rightful owner of the land but the order was violated.
Steven Buryahika, the representative of the evictees explained that since their eviction in 2014 they have been living in a camp in an unbearable situation.
He noted that after the eviction after their eviction, in 2015 residents failed another case of malicious damage at Masindi High Court.
He noted that they have been waiting for the ruling of the two cases until May 6, of 2022 when the Masindi high court Judge, Byaruhanga Jesse ruled in favour of Hoima Sugar Limited, which forced them to seek redress from Court of Appeal.
Ester Turyahebwa, 42, said several women in the camp have had their human rights abused, adding that husbands have abandoned their families in the camp since they cannot provide for them due to biting poverty in the camp.
Minister Mayanja in his response, said he was shocked to see evictees suffering in the camp, ordering Hoima Sugar Limited to compensate the evictees so that they buy land to resettle their families.
He therefore ordered: Hoima Sugar must compensate them with sufficient funds so that each of them [evictees] can find an alternative piece of land where they can resettle with their families. Government can find them land where to resettle them with resettlement money so that they can start a dignified life.”
Mayanja also urged the Kikuube resident district commissioner [RDC] Amlan Tumusiime and other district leaders to write to the Office of the Prime Minister to get food and other relief for the evictees. “We think this an emergency and we do not think these people should continue living in this condition,” he said.
Mayaja who was in Kikuube district to preside over a sensitisation meeting for the people of Bunyoro about the land laws. The meeting was organised Masindi district zonal land office.
He also directed that all land titles that were acquired illegally in Bunyoro Sub-region be canceled with immediate effect
RDC Tumusiime commended Minister Mayanja, saying he will work with the relevant authorities to see that the orders made by the minister are implemented.
Florence Natumanya the Kikuube district Woman Member of Parliament and Peter Banura, the district LCV chairperson commended the minister, saying that his directives will help to reduce the land conflicts in the region.
According to the two politicians, Kikuube district is overwhelmed by the increasing land conflicts which are preventing people from engaging in productive ventures and benefiting from government projects such as Parish development model [PDM] among others.
Banura blamed the human rights abuses mated on evicted residents to corruption tendencies and wondered how eviction was enforced despite a running court order.
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