More than 1000 Ugandans living in areas neighbouring Kyangwali refugee settlement were forced to attain refugee status in order to retain 'ownership' of their land.
The scheme was reportedly crafted by Charles Bafaki, the principal resettlement officer in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Jolly Kebirungi, the camp commandant Kyangwali refugee settlement area, in the newly created Kikuube district and Lutaaya Vianney from ministry of Lands.
Birungi Asiimwe, one of the affected residents says the officers with the help of police and soldiers, tortured residents and forced them to sign up as refugees on their own land, after which they were issued with cards confirming them as refugees. The pink cards, seen by URN, have a stamp from the Office of the Prime Minister classifying residents as Kyangwali refugee settlement area members.
According to the residents, the issuance of the refugee cards to Ugandans started in November 2018. This is around the same time that the Office of the Prime Minister announced a plan to expand the boundaries of the camp, which would provide more land for the resettlement of refugees.
Nestroy Tumwesigye, a resident of Bukinda in Kyangwali sub-county explains that those who declined to denounce their citizenship for refugee status were harassed and had their land annexed to the resettlement land, which is reserved for refugees.
Each refugee in Uganda is entitled to a 50 by 50ft plot of land for cultivation and settlement, materials for construction of a shelter and daily food rations for a period of at least one year.
Although they have a right to work, do business, and freely move around the country, the refugees cannot own the land they cultivate, or the homes they live in, according to the terms of the 2006 Refugees Act. This makes the Ugandan nationals vulnerable to eviction if their refugee status elapses.
The move could also delineate their children and grandchildren who cannot be granted Ugandan citizenship because, under the constitution, citizenship is out of reach for all those with a parent or grandparent who was a refugee within the Ugandan boundaries at any given time.
The residents now want the officers investigated by the State House Anti-corruption unit headed by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema for allegedly turning them into refugees on their own land. They accused the government of favouring refugees at the expense of Ugandans, adding that efforts to better the lives of refugees have rendered Ugandans landless in their own country.
The residents have already handed over the exhibits to Lt. Col Nakalema to help her start up investigations against the two officers. Last week a team of investigators led by Nakalema, stormed Kyangwali refugee settlement area to investigate the prevailing land conflict in the area and assured them of a concrete report after her investigations.
In 2013, more than 60,000 so-called "encroachers", Ugandan nationals who settled on land earmarked for refugees, were forcibly evicted from the Kyangwali refugee settlement in central-western Uganda to make way for new arrivals from DRC.
The scheme was reportedly crafted by Charles Bafaki, the principal resettlement officer in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Jolly Kebirungi, the camp commandant Kyangwali refugee settlement area, in the newly created Kikuube district and Lutaaya Vianney from ministry of Lands.
Birungi Asiimwe, one of the affected residents says the officers with the help of police and soldiers, tortured residents and forced them to sign up as refugees on their own land, after which they were issued with cards confirming them as refugees. The pink cards, seen by URN, have a stamp from the Office of the Prime Minister classifying residents as Kyangwali refugee settlement area members.
According to the residents, the issuance of the refugee cards to Ugandans started in November 2018. This is around the same time that the Office of the Prime Minister announced a plan to expand the boundaries of the camp, which would provide more land for the resettlement of refugees.
Nestroy Tumwesigye, a resident of Bukinda in Kyangwali sub-county explains that those who declined to denounce their citizenship for refugee status were harassed and had their land annexed to the resettlement land, which is reserved for refugees.
Each refugee in Uganda is entitled to a 50 by 50ft plot of land for cultivation and settlement, materials for construction of a shelter and daily food rations for a period of at least one year.
Although they have a right to work, do business, and freely move around the country, the refugees cannot own the land they cultivate, or the homes they live in, according to the terms of the 2006 Refugees Act. This makes the Ugandan nationals vulnerable to eviction if their refugee status elapses.
The move could also delineate their children and grandchildren who cannot be granted Ugandan citizenship because, under the constitution, citizenship is out of reach for all those with a parent or grandparent who was a refugee within the Ugandan boundaries at any given time.
The residents now want the officers investigated by the State House Anti-corruption unit headed by Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema for allegedly turning them into refugees on their own land. They accused the government of favouring refugees at the expense of Ugandans, adding that efforts to better the lives of refugees have rendered Ugandans landless in their own country.
The residents have already handed over the exhibits to Lt. Col Nakalema to help her start up investigations against the two officers. Last week a team of investigators led by Nakalema, stormed Kyangwali refugee settlement area to investigate the prevailing land conflict in the area and assured them of a concrete report after her investigations.
In 2013, more than 60,000 so-called "encroachers", Ugandan nationals who settled on land earmarked for refugees, were forcibly evicted from the Kyangwali refugee settlement in central-western Uganda to make way for new arrivals from DRC.
The families later sued the government, claiming to have lived with refugees since the 1960's when the refugee resettlement was started.
Comments
Museveni and his Prime Minister are making Ugandans refugees in their own country, a country that will be savagedly occupied by Rwandees!!
I can bet we shall have a hectic year 2019 that will see some of the ruling families and the land lords become become Louis XVI, his wife Antoniette and the nobles!!!
No wonder, the man is now quacking and sweating like a dead hog!
Thanks!
Do Ugandans still think Akot is boring singing them to UNITY?
Tribal leaders MUST bring down the tribalistic system keeping us divided, thus powerless as they too will be dismissed by Museveni when he is assured of ownership of our country!
UNITY of Ugandans & blocking Museveni will force him out & stop him making refugees Ugandans & we the refugees who will be thrown out in no time!
The devil came to own Uganda for rwandese & refugees from yonder!
Ugandans MUST wake up before it's too late, as they are alone face to Museveni's plans because the outside world will remain silent as long as our people maintain the tribalistic system with helping Museveni own our country while we just watch, complain!
Our UNITY will throw Museveni out & give chance to the kind of administration we want.
Why are Ugandans just watching & helping rwandese own their country goes & settle other refugees in?
Congolese listened to Akot & made sure rwandese don't get chance to own their country!
Tanzanians made it clear their country doesn't not belong to rwandese!
But Ugandans are handing over their country to rwandese who will let UN resettle more refugees in to shut us out for good!
Understood, but,
This rather means it's the president's army & not that of Ugandans, who are being robbed of their land heritage by right of birth & will be made refugees in their land!
It's Ugandans signing off their heritage, it' them used against one another so that rwandese/other refugees become rightful owners of Uganda!
This means Museveni will, when he deems it's the right time, dissolve posts of tribal leaders to make Uganda the country he longed for & it's us used to hand it over to him!
It's still time & Ugandans can UNITE or go streight for Independent Tribal States!
Ugandans MUST STOP helping Museveni own the country & NOW - time is running out for every Ugandan!
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Oh my goodness! I'm not one to laugh easily but your last sentence sent me into loud chuckles, although a chuckle is by definition quiet.
Even in these seriously-dangerous times for Uganda, your phrase is a comic relief, a welcome one at that. Thank you Zaitun
Except Adyebo (RIP) and Prof, Nsibambi, like their appointing authority, it seems all the Uganda's Prime Minister like Amama Mbabazi are anti Ugandans and evil.