By: Ismael Kasooha
GOMBA
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has intervened in Nsowe Land wrangles between the residents and the National Forestry Authority (NFA) in Gomba district.
The president sent the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja to resolve the wrangles.
The residents petitioned the President over what they termed as illegal eviction by NFA from their land. Nabbanja, after visiting some of the parcels of land in Nsowe said that some of the claimants were not genuine.
The Premier Rt. Hon. Nabbanja Robinah issuing orders to the IGP and commissioner Disaster in the Office of the Prime Minister at Karusinna Primary School in Gomba District
“We have moved with one of the claimants who even failed to locate the piece of land where her family was and this is a clear indication that some of these claimants are not genuine,” she said.
The Premier was accompanied by the Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba and the Commissioner for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management in the Office of the Prime Minister, Davis Mwenyi and other technical officials.
Nabbanja informed the residents that President Yoweri Museveni had instructed her to reinstate the people onto their land immediately.
In 1932, the Government of Uganda gazetted Nsowe Forest Reserve in Gomba District totaling 5,097 hectares of land but some people encroached on the land claiming ownership.
In 2017, the National Forestry Authority embarked on the process of recovering the land and also distributing it to developers to plant trees through the public-private partnership arrangement.
However, families who had settled on the land petitioned the President claiming they were bonafide occupants of the land.
According to NFA’s Executive Director, Stuart Maniraguha, only 175 families were verified and 129 were paid off but have come back to claim the same land.
The Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Nabbanja Robinah talking to the IGP Abbas Byakagaba during the meeting at Karusinna Primary School in Gomba District
Maniraguha said that each of the families was allocated 25 acres of land to plant trees and most of them sold it off to other people and are now claiming for more land.
Some residents have accused NFA of sidelining them and allocate huge chunks of land to the powerful individuals in government including Ministers, top army officials and Members of Parliament.
The Prime Minister directed those impersonating as land claimants to vacate the camps before they are arrested by the police.
“I’m directing the IGP to register all the genuine claimants and be resettled in their pieces of land immediately and also close this camp,” ordered Nabbanja.
End
