By Kundu Ronald
Kiryandongo district chairperson, Hon. Aliguma Edith Adyeeri has cautioned land grabbers intending to grab ranch 11 land in Kiryandongo not to be tempted since the district doesn’t have communal
“We have no communal land and anyone interested in taking over should look for somewhere else”, Aliguma said.
Speaking at the hearing of the Equal Opportunities Commission at Kigumba Town council hall Aliguma stated that Ranch 11 is government land earmarked for resettling internally displaced communities of the Nubian and Kibyama people hence cautioning those conniving with the investor to desist from the act since theirattempts will not yield.
Karubanga Jacob Ateenyi, the Kibanda South Member of Parliament wondered why a few people without mercy want to grab a piece of land intended to resettle thousands of struggling families seeking livelihood.
“These people have no mercy for suffering people. How in the world would a handful not mind about the thousand struggling families?” Karubanga wondered.
He revealed that necessary legal steps have been taken since 2000 to ensure that the internally displaced people get resettled and they are in advanced stages.
The 2023/2024 financial budget included 200 million shillings for resettlement of the affected communities causing a sigh of relief on land victims.
Attending the hearing on Monday, state lawyer Sarah from the office of the Attorney General Cross examined Karubanga Jacob Ateenyi who represented the petition organization while His Worship Cox Joel from the Equal Opportunities Commission adjourned the hearing to Monday 10th July, 2023.
At the same event Hon. Baguma Isoke, the former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban development who is a witness noted that justice has delayed for a very long period of time.
“It is now over 2 decades without these people getting justice. The interest of the State is to see people resettled because this issue can easily change the politics of the area so let people get resettled”, Hon Isoke noted.
BACKGROUND OF THE CONFLICTS
The first conflict started around 1911 when people who then lived in today’s Murchison Falls game park were resettled southwards upon its creation with people and institutions losing land. After gazzetting the park for people in south of Bunyoro Game Reserve.
When the Karuma wildlife reserve was created, they moved south in vast lands. In 1968 an aerial survey of the disputed “Mawanda” boundary of the wildlife reserve was done and no topographical survey was done until recently when beacons were placed causing violent conflicts.
During Amin’s regime in 1976, another conflict occurred as a result of irregular expropriation of land during the establishment of the former Palestinian land. In this case, peoples’ assets and property were assessed and valued with the hope of compensation or resettlement only to be brutally evicted. The majority of those evicted rushed back to the game reserve amidst unclear boundaries.
After the fall of Amin, the original occupants of the Palestinian farmland regained occupancy as there was no activity taking place on the land, and bearing in mind, they had not been compensated.
In 1986 when the NRM government came to power, the government was desirous of rejuvenating the land as a UPDF farm and in the process ignorantly evicted everybody that had occupied the land. The victims still moved to the game reserve.
In 1994 and 1998 evictions from the wildlife reserve were done in a bid to secure it amidst disputes. In 1999 a violent dispute occurred along the reserve boundary culminating in a brutal eviction that led to the loss of life and property.
Masindi district council conducted a probe into these evictions in 2000, a report was produced and submitted to the Ministry of Lands.
The Masindi probe report was considered by the cabinet and a decision was made to resettle these people together with the Nubians on Ranch 11.
This was followed by the launch of the resettlement committee by Hon Baguma Isoke pending the land fund.
In 2003 the conflict was again resurrected with the leasing of the former UPDF farmland to the Mukwano group of companies. In 2006, the president requested the minister in charge of the presidency to handle the Nubian community which did not happen.
For all this long, victims have made various attempts to have government resettle them but several pledges by the government had never come to pass.
The news of budgeting for the resettlement fund amounting to 200 million has caused a sigh of relief to the victims who hope that they will finally get resettled soon.
