By Peter Abanabasazi
Six people who are members of families that were evicted from different villages in Bukinda parish Kyangwali sub-county have so far lost their lives from the office of the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner-RDC as they continue to wait for government to return them back to their land.
These were evicted by the Office of the Prime Minister in 2013.
More than 60,000 people who include men, women, children, youth and old men and women are feuding with the Kyangwali refugee settlement over 36 square kilometers of land.
After the eviction the residents were allocated land in Kyeya village in Kyangwali sub-county and each family was given 2.5 acres. They claim that this land is not fertile and not suitable for Agriculture.
In protest, about 1,000 of them in January 2022 pitched camp at the office of the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner Amlan Tumusiime, demanding his intervention to help them return to their land.
The residents established some makeshifts at the RDC office where they sleep with their children and old women and men.
Julius Twenomugisha, the chairman of the Camp says six people have so far died in the camp and 19 children have so far given birth.
He explains that for the one year they have stayed in the area they have lost two children, three men and one woman
He attributes the death to poor living conditions in the area adding that since last year they survive on handout food and this has left children malnourished. He adds that they are also enduring night coldness and lack of proper medication.
Beatrice Basemera, a mother of six says there is a lot of starvation in the camp adding that they have for several times cried for help from the government in vain. She calls on the government to expedite the process of returning them to their land for the evictees to be able to cultivate and get food for their families.
RDC Tumusiime confirms that some people have lost lives in the area adding that these evictees continue to endure suffering with no food, water, shelter and appropriate medical services, among others.
He notes that these people died of illnesses like malaria and other common infections.
