Members of Hoima district production committee have threatened to drag National Forestry Authority to the Uganda Human Rights Commission following the forceful eviction of Wambabya forest encroachers.
NFA law enforcement officials and the police early this month evicted about 300 encroachers, who had illegally encroached on and occupied part of Wambabya forest reserve in Buseruka Sub county Hoima district.
But two weeks after the eviction, the district production committee members claim the eviction was carried out in a manner that violated the settlers’ rights.
The committee members led by the chairman, James Mugenyi Mulindambura on Tuesday visited the area from which the settlers were evicted in Kijumba village.
Mulindambura told journalists that what they saw on ground was burnt houses and slashed crop gardens purportedly done by NFA operatives during the eviction.
Mulindambura says this is unacceptable since it has left the evicted families with no means of survival.
He vows to put the matter to the attention of the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
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Mugisa Vincent, a member of the committee argues that at least the encroachers should have been left to harvest their crops and leave peacefully. He describes the mode of eviction as inhumane.
Thomas Byaruhanga, one of the evicted encroachers says they have nowhere to settle other than taking refuge at their relatives’ homes. He says his children have dropped out of school as he has no income to cater for them.
Richard Ssenturo, the NFA Hoima area Manager declined to comment on the manner in which the eviction exercise was carried out but insisted that the exercise was sanctioned by court.
Ssenturo also noted that forceful eviction was the only alternative left after the settlers refused a joint border survey as ordered by court to determine the forest boundaries.
He defended the eviction as vital in securing the forest which provides a catchment area for River Wambabya, on which a multi-billion shilling hydro power generation project is underway.
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Government is currently constructing a mini hydro power dam at Wambabya River.
