Evicted Families in Kikuube IDP Camp Face Severe Health Crisis Amid Unresolved Land Dispute

Over 1,000 families displaced from their ancestral lands in Kasonga Parish, Kyangwali Sub-County, are enduring harsh health conditions in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp within Kikuube Town Council, Kikuube District.

These residents, mostly women and children, were evicted from areas including Bukinda A and B, Kavule, Bwizibwera A and B, Kyeya A and B, Nyaruhanga, Kabirizi, Nyamigisa A and B, and Katoma villages in Kasonga Parish. The evictions stem from a land dispute over 36 square kilometers between the residents and the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement. In September 2013, with support from police and UPDF forces, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) displaced over 60,000 people from the contested land to make way for an expanded refugee settlement. Since then, many residents have lived in makeshift camps under poor conditions in Kyeya Village, Kyangwali Sub-County.

In 2016 and 2018, President Yoweri Museveni ordered these evicted families to be resettled on their ancestral lands, but implementation remains stalled. Frustrated, residents have gathered multiple times at the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), seeking enforcement of the president’s directive.

OPM defended the evictions as necessary to expand the settlement from 50 to 70 square miles to accommodate rising numbers of refugees from neighboring countries. In response, the residents initially camped at Kyangwali Sub-County headquarters and petitioned former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who directed them to return to their land, yet this directive was also ignored. In 2014, Justice Simon Byabakama of Masindi High Court ordered a boundary reopening for the disputed land, but the order was not enforced. Then, in 2016, President Museveni directed then-Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to resettle and compensate the evictees, but these instructions were not acted upon.

By February 2022, the evictees set up camp at the RDC’s office, protesting the prolonged delays in their resettlement. In July 2023, they moved to a plot donated by Kikuube Woman MP Florence Natumanya in the Butyamba cell of Kikuube Town Council.

Residents now face severe health risks, with limited sanitation and hygiene facilities, which they fear may lead to disease outbreaks. Jackline Nyamaizi, a camp resident, reports recurring illnesses like diarrhea, malaria, and cholera due to inadequate health facilities. Ahumuza Businge, another resident, highlights the scarcity of clean water, as camp residents must share water sources with wild animals, posing serious risks to their health. According to camp chairperson Fred Mbambali, health conditions are dire, with limited latrines and essential facilities, increasing the risk of diseases like cholera.

The camp’s female residents, including Rosemary Nakibuuka, report increased susceptibility to infections, including STIs, due to shared, poorly maintained hygiene facilities. Nestori Tumwesigye, the Kyangwali Sub-County LCV Councilor, expresses frustration over the government’s inaction despite repeated pleas for resettlement support. Kikuube LCV Vice Chairperson Vincent Alpha Opio confirms that the district has proposed acquiring land to provide proper resettlement and health services.

However, Charles Bafaki, the Principal Resettlement Officer with OPM, claims that about 10,000 families have already been resettled in Kyeeya Village in Kyangwali Sub-County, a claim contested by local leaders and evictees. In 2022, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees, Hillary Onek, stated that the government legally owns the contested land. In October 2021, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja halted OPM activities on the land, suspecting that some OPM officials and settlement staff were fraudulently using the land for personal gain. She instructed local authorities to prevent further activity on the land pending investigations.