Divergences erupted between Bugahya County Member of Parliament Pius Wakabi and the National Forestry Authority (NFA) over the Boundary opening of Kandanda Ngobye Forest Reserve land in Buraru sub-county, Hoima district.
Last week Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Hoima district security committee and NFA kicked off the Boundary opening exercise of reserve hill land measuring 2,556 hectares located in Buhanika, Kyabigambire and Buraru sub-counties.
However, on Tuesday, Wakabi convened a meeting to pursue residents’ interests who petitioned him to protest against the exercise.
The meeting was held at Bararu Health Centre III which made the residents worried that the exercise would be the beginning of grabbing their land.
Michael Kasangaki, a resident of Buraru village, accused the NFA staff of carrying out the exercise of going beyond the original boundaries.
He added that they are opening the boundary without involving the residents to guide them where the original boundary passes.
Kasangaki said they have been occupying the land for years adding that they have nowhere to go and demanded the reserve be degazetted and left for the settlement of people.
Ben Kirungi, a resident of Kikara Village, said there was no need to open the boundaries for the land occupied by people adding the opening of the boundary may result in their eviction.
He noted that by the time it was gazetted as forest reserve land, people were few in the area, but now, the entire area is occupied and demanded exercise to be stopped.
Robert Mwanga, the Buraru sub-county chairperson, said Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom allowed NFA to open boundaries without engaging her subjects.
He said that as kingdom subjects, they expected the kingdom to engage them before anybody did anything on this land.
He noted previous years, the Kingdom wrote to them assuring them that the land belonged to the kingdom and there was no one to interfere with the residents and wondered how the kingdom had charged
Honorable Wakabi wants the exercise stopped, while reacting to the people’s concerns, explained that the exercise started before engaging him as an area MP.
He noted that land law gives a Kibanja holder a right on the land and that it was unfair to start opening the boundaries without the consent of the residents.
It is from this point that he ordered that the opening of the boundary stop until they engage with Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Hoima district security committee and other stakeholders.
He promised the meeting will be organised on Monday next week and ordered NFA officials not to continue with the exercise.
“I am the supervisor of all government programmes; I also supervise the RDC’S work in my constituency. So, I ask you to respect my order, do not use force because you have guns and respect the views of the people”
Boaz Basigirenda, the NFA Budongo range manager said before the opening of the boundary they engaged with the Kingdom and the kingdom offered them a letter okaying the opening of the boundary.
He insisted the opening of the boundary is not intended at evicting the occupants on the land adding that the exercise aims at knowing where NFA land starts and ends. He expressed dismay about the MP’s orders, which according to him, are politically motivated.
He noted they were going to sit with the district security committee to discuss how to handle the matter to ensure that they continue with the exercise adding the MP has no mandate to stop the exercise.
