By Kaboha
Families within Butangwa and Kitembe Villages in Fort Portal City have expressed their pain after a yet-to-be-identified organization marked their land as part of a wetland, which may lead to potential evictions and property destruction.
The residents are this seeking help and clarification from relevant authorities since the marking and erection of boundaries have created uncertainty and fear of losing their homes and livelihoods.
During a community meeting on Thursday held in Kitembe, affected residents expressed disappointment with area leaders after the majority failed to show up and shed light on the ongoing activity in their area.
Chairman warns against taking laws into hands
Area LC1 Chairpersons, asked city leaders to go on the ground and give authentic information to residents before they can take the laws into their own hands.
Elizabeth Kengonzi, the Rwengoma ward female councilor who attended the meeting, asked for calm as the issue undergoes investigation. He expressed worry about which authority could be behind the project, since NEMA (National Environment Management Authority) distanced itself from any wetland demarcation within the affected area.
The meeting resolved to again write invitation letters to relevant authorities like NEMA, RCC, and Mayors, among others to attend a rescheduled meeting on Tuesday next week and give information to residents.
They also agreed to match to City headquarters Boma to seek clarity about who is trying to grab their land, if leaders shun the scheduled meeting.
However, it should be kept in mind that in 2023 a nongovernment organization -NGO called Join for Water launched a new project in Uganda dubbed “Wetlands as Superheroes”, Funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The project runs from November 2023 until December 2026
The collaborative project led by Join For Water alongside partners like Natural Resources Defense Initiatives (NRDI) and Kyaninga Forest Foundation (KFF) in conjunction with the Ministry of Water and Environment (Albert Water Management Zone and Fort Portal City Natural Resources Department agreed to join efforts in safeguarding, managing, and restoring Fort Portal’s wetlands.