BY OBED KULE KITHENDE
Residents of Bwenanule-Kinyabakazi Cell in Muhokya Town Council, Busongora County South in Kasese district led by their leaders today vowed to continue with their legal process against the information indicating that government procured 200 acres of land in the area.
On Friday last week, the Office of the Prime Minister revealed that it was ready to resettle the flood victims currently encamped at Muhokya on the 200 acres of land that it allegedly purchased in Bwenanule – Kinyabakazi cell in Muhokya Town Council at a tune of shillings one and a half billion.
In 2020, major rivers streaming from the Rwenzori Mountains burst their banks, causing devastating floods that displaced a section of people from their homes in addition to destroying a good number of crop gardens. The victims were later temporarily housed at Muhokya.
Dr. Davis Mwenyi, the Commissioner for Disaster and Preparedness in the Office of the Prime Minister, last week indicated that government would soon resettle the 163 households living in the camp on the said land. According to him, they had consulted the Office of the IGG and the Ministry of Lands which confirmed to them that the said piece of land was bought from a genuine owner.
The Office of the Prime Minister says despite the said piece of land being in courts of law, an Inquiry Desk will be opened in Bwenanule on Wednesday this week so that the people’s complaints are listened to and handled accordingly.
During a community meeting that was held today at Kinyabakazi Trading Centre, the area L. C I Chairperson, Mr. Lawrence Bwambale denied having signed on the sale agreement when government allegedly bought the said piece of land from the one claiming to be the rightful owner, adding that government was holding a forged document.
Some of the angry residents who attended the meeting requested the top government officials and political leaders to always embrace negotiation as a means of solving using that using force.
They also revealed that they wouldn’t allow government to take over their pieces of land when the issue was still in the courts of law for justice to prevail.
ENDS