By Augustine Kabooha.
Fort-portal Diocese rubbish accusations of harassing squatters on church land.
Authorities of Fort-portal Catholic Diocese have rubbished as false accusations trending social media allegations which claims the diocese has been harassing squatters on the Kyegobe and Katumba mile land.
At the start of March 2021 photos poorly constructed houses went viral on social media with allegations that those poor people are staying on church land but haven’t been spared from paying 20,000 annually to the diocese.
Our reporter on Tuesday visited the area and confirmed the accusations after interviewing some of the people staying on the land. The land in question is located in Kyegobe Cell, Nyakagongo ward and another one in Katumba cell, Kijanju ward both in Central Division, Fort-portal Tourism city.
Squatters are accusing Fort-portal catholic diocese of subjected them to payment of 20,000 thousand shillings annually as tenant fee which is too complicated to get.
“Church has deprived us of the opportunity to construct permanent houses, bury our relatives and make bricks which has been our major source of income”. Said one of the squatters on condition of anonymity!
A 27year old who was born and raised from the same land says both his father and grandfather stayed on the land survived on brick making but wonders why this generation have been denied the same chance.
Another individual expressed discomfort over the manner in which the Catholic Church is handling squatters especially not being allowed to erect permanent structures, not being allowed to bury relatives on the land and planting trees for income generation among other conditions that are unfavorable.
However our reporter has spoken to some of the squatters who say that church allowed poor people to freely stay on the said land after signing an agreement accepting to abide by church and government rules and regulations.
68year old woman who spoke to us on conditions of anonymity wondered why the youth have started accusations against the Catholic Church yet their grandparents most of them deceased willingly acquired land after accepting set rules and regulations.
She said the 20,000 is little money compared to the benefits got from the big chunks of land occupied by every household.
When contacted by our reporter Joseph Innocent Musabe the diocesan Lands Officer admitted that the church gave free land to the poor to help them change their lives but surprisingly majority have failed to utilize the big chunks of land given to them.
He however dismissed allegations that the church set harsh conditions since everyone applied willingly before being given land. One is allowed to build a semi permanent house, graze animals and practice agriculture he said.
He admitted that Church provided a burial ground in Katumba to enable every household chance bury their loved ones, stopped brick making because it degrades the land, as well as planting of eucalyptus trees.
The land in question is located on the Virika hill land title of 263 hectares with 115 households
