BY OBED KULE KITHENDE
The Office of the Uganda’s Prime Minister is set to open up the boundaries of Bwenanule – Kinyabakazi Land in Muhokya Town Council, Kasese District that was allegedly bought to resettle the flood victims currently encamped at Muhokya Internally Displaced People’s Camp.
The development was revealed yesterday by Jimmy Baluku, the Kasese District Senior Lands Officer who according to him was sent by the Office of the Prime Minister to address the residents about the new development during a community meeting that was held at Kinyabakazi Trading Centre.
He noted that the Office of the Prime Minister had directed the Kasese District Lands Office to open up the boundaries, count the houses on the land and the entire population occupying those structures. The opening exercise is expected to begin today as one of the measures aimed at preparing the land for the people living in Muhokya Camp.
He also reported that once the work of resettling the people is done, the government would establish a health facility, market and primary school to provide services to the community.
Eriab Begumya Ntarwete, the Deputy CAO for Kasese District Local Government, asked the residents who are affected by the new development to cooperate with the technical team that would be sent on the ground to give facts about the land and direct the government on the next course of action.
The Kasese Resident District Commissioner, Lt. Joe Walusimbi, explained to the residents that the government was doing that to establish the true ownership of the land, identifying whether it was occupied or not and hence make a report.
According to the RDC, the plots of land with buildings won’t be tempered with and those without would be surveyed while the plots with clear ownership won’t be tempered with.
Nelson Masereka, the District Councilor representing Muhokya Town Council, asked the government to truly establish the land that they allegedly bought and avoid causing more displacements of people while trying to solve the challenges faced by the encamped persons at Muhokya.
Some of the residents who talked to the media suggested to the Office of the Prime Minister to hire a private surveyor to work hand in hand with the government surveyor for transparency.
By press time, Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) had established a temporary detach on the said piece of land as the government makes the necessary steps of establishing the ownership of the land in question.
ENDS