Residents from six sub counties neighboring Nakivale settlement camp in Isingiro district on Thursday boycotted the Word Aids Day function in protest of what they called plans by government to evict them from their land.
Isingiro district commemorated the World Aids Day at Kabingo town council ground while Nakivale settlement leaders held theirs at Nakivale camp. Some area residents boycotted both functions.
The angry residents trekked over 10 kilometers from Nakivale to Kashasha trading centre ground in Rugaga sub county to express their dissatisfaction with the government for not protecting them and their property but only caring about refugees.
The more than 10,000 residents from the six sub counties of Rugaga, Rushasha, Kashumba, Ngarama, Isingiro town council and some parts of Kikagate Sub County, occupy 71 square kilometers of land in and around Nakivale settlement camp.
Recently, relief and disaster preparedness minister Steven Malinga ordered all locals occupying the Nakivale settlement camp to vacate immediately. He gave them up to January 2012 to have vacated the settlement land or face the law.
But the directive has not gone well with the locals who say they are not ready to vacate their land.
Patrick Rubwebwesa, one of the affected residents says that Government is unfairly allowing refugees to settle on the land while natives are being evicted day and night. Rubwebwesa says he has nowhere to shift his family to after settling in Rugaga for over 60 years.
Kayezu Miriam, another from Ruhoko says her children missed the just concluded national examinations because of eviction.
She says there was no need for her to take part in commemorating the World Aids Day when her family is not sure of living for another night.
Vincent Kafero Paul 50, a resident of Karokarungi cell in Rugaga Sub County says he has mobilized the rest of his village mates to sue government.
He says he wants court to issue a temporary injunction on the planned eviction from their land.
//Cue in: “Over a period of…..
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Isingiro district council led by the speaker Silver Mwesigwa recently passed a minute of council to petition the speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga to cause a motion in parliament to block the planned eviction.
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The district speaker is set to lead a delegation of affected residents to parliament next week to table their grievances to Kadaga.
//Cue in: “So that’s commitment….
//Cue out:…the area that we lead//
