UGANDA, Wakiso | Real Muloodi News | Animosity is rising among residents of Wakiso Sub-county in Wakiso District following a demolition warning issued by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). This action is part of a joint exercise to restore wetlands in Uganda.
The affected villages are Nakuwadde-Bbira and Ganda-Nasere, where NEMA officials have marked the houses of about 300 people for demolition.
Mathias Kisitu, a resident of Nakuwadde, stated that residents would not allow NEMA officials to demolish their houses, which they claim are situated outside the designated wetlands.
“Some of these houses are located on dry land with no trenches like most of the structures which were earlier demolished. Let NEMA come up and draw clear boundaries; this is not a wetland,” Kisitu said.
Local leaders, including Silas Kasaato, Wakiso District councillor, have vowed to mobilize affected residents to protest if NEMA continues marking houses for demolition.
“We have agreed that once we see NEMA again, we shall just blow whistles to alert residents to start protesting. If there are people interested in our land, they should be open to us instead of terrorizing people,” Kasaato said.
Tensions escalated when police clashed with residents carrying placards, notices, and stones. Police used teargas to disperse the crowds after residents burned tyres on the tarmac and threatened to storm the office of the chairperson of Ganda.
These protests, led predominantly by youth who had built houses in the recently mapped areas, have persisted for two days.
The situation intensified after the body of a resident identified as Magambo was found in his house.
Residents allege that his death was linked to NEMA’s evictions, claiming he died after his house was marked for demolition. This is allegedly the second death under similar circumstances, following the alleged death of Patrick Mugoya, a resident of Ganda-Nasere, who reportedly died after learning his house was also marked for demolition.
Kasaato noted that Magambo, a clothing hawker, was reportedly traumatized upon discovering his house had been earmarked.
“We are going to lose more people if the operation continues. People thought they had sacrificed to secure a good future for their children because most of them have just constructed houses on their plots,” Kasaato said.
Fred Myelo, a resident of Ganda-Nasere, said they thought NEMA was only evicting Lubigi swamp dwellers.
“We know the boundary of Lubigi. Now what is NEMA looking for in Bbira? If they are evicting people along the trench, clear information should be passed,” Myelo said.
William Lubuulwa, a senior communications officer at NEMA, announced a halt to the demolition exercise, stating that further communication would be made once it resumed.
Brian Kasumba, a landlord in Ganda, who led the protests to the chairperson’s office, expressed concern about the financial losses he might incur if his guest house and rental properties, marked for demolition, are destroyed.
“I’m a young man who is still figuring out life, but if you come out at this time to put me back to zero, I cannot keep calm,” Kasumba said.
Nobert Akaheebwa, a landlord in Nakuwadde, mentioned that he legally acquired his plot through the office of the area chairperson and invested more than Shs250 million to develop it.
He said the land was bought for Shs55 million. Girivazio Twinomujuni, a landlord in Nakuwadde Trading Centre, who built a commercial building in 2017, is dismayed at the prospect of losing his Shs80 million investment.
“I used more than Shs80 million, but now I’m out of words because this is the only investment I have,” Twinomujuni said.
Alfred Kyakabare, a father of 11, fears the demolitions will leave his family homeless.
“I have a very beautiful structure where I stay with my children, but I also have other rentals that are still under construction,” Kyakabare said.
Christopher Nuwagaba, a resident of Nakuwadde who has spent 15 years developing his plot with a residential house and 10 rentals, appealed for government intervention, suspecting that someone might be using NEMA to grab their land.
“They are yet to mark my houses, but they assured us we are the next in line when they come back to mark houses,” Nuwagaba said, adding that he had spent more than USh250 million to develop his plot.
“Let President Museveni come on board to save the situation because all the authorities in charge are under his control,” Nuwagaba said.
Jacqueline Joyce Swende, a 97-year-old Congolese national, is also affected, with her under-construction structure marked for demolition.
“I decided to put up this flat to get money from tenants because I can no longer go back to my home country because of conflicts and wars that break out occasionally,” Swende said.
In Nabweru, residents who received restoration orders are anxious as the 21-day notice period ended on July 8.
The affected people, including schools, received NEMA letters. The schools include Bristol Academy, Twinkle Star, and Linnet Junior School.
Lubuulwa advised school proprietors to negotiate with NEMA for a grace period to allow primary seven candidates to complete their final exams, emphasizing NEMA’s openness to discussions.
“NEMA is a great listener, and when we issue restoration orders, we are open for discussions. But I have never heard any school coming out complaining,” Lubuulwa said.
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