Running battles erupted in Lubigi Wetland on Wednesday as security forces moved to evict holdout squatters who had defied earlier eviction orders and continued camping in the area two weeks after their homes were demolished. Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) soldiers and anti-riot police sealed off the wetland and engaged in confrontations with residents who resisted the operation. More than 10 people were arrested as security personnel torched the remaining makeshift tents and cleared the area. Several squatters fled with whatever belongings they could salvage, while others were rounded up during the operation.
Journalists were blocked from accessing the site and could only observe from a distance while interviewing displaced residents who had fled the wetland. Residents accused security personnel of using excessive force during the operation. Olivia Nakigozi, a resident of Kawala Zone II, said several people, including Abas Sseguja, were arrested during the crackdown. She alleged that police severely beat Sseguja’s 16-year-old son, Ssesanga, who had attempted to stop his father’s arrest, leaving him unconscious before he was taken to Kawala Health Centre. “They came in aggressively and attacked people; they started burning tents and arresting us,” Nakigozi said.
“But the worst was seeing them beat a child who was trying to stop his father’s arrest. I don’t think he will survive; he was taken away almost dead.” Standing on Kawala Flyover with her three-year-old child and a bag on her back, Rest Nanyange described the operation as a criminal act against residents. She claimed that police confiscated food and utensils that had been donated by well-wishers and said she was partially undressed while fleeing from officers with her children. Nanyange said she has nowhere to relocate despite having spent millions of shillings to acquire the property. “Prime Minister Nabbanja gave us Shs1 million recently. That can’t buy land. I spent Shs45 million on my land and house. Where was NEMA when we built? I’ve lived abroad; other countries plan for their people, not chase them to die. We have nowhere to go. Let them kill us,” she said.
Other affected residents, including Florence Natukunda, said not all victims received the Shs1 million relief package that Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja distributed following the demolitions. Natukunda said many displaced families remain stranded and appealed to the government for intervention.
The latest operation targeted residents who had remained in the wetland after the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) demolished more than 150 houses and business structures during a crackdown launched on May 28. Affected residents have consistently disputed NEMA’s claims that their homes were located within the wetland, accusing the agency of intending to hand over the land to an investor.
However, NEMA maintains that the evictions are part of efforts to restore degraded wetland ecosystems. In a statement, Naomi Karekaho, Head of Corporate Communications at NEMA, said enforcement operations resumed after the expiry of a grace period that had been granted to allow occupants to vacate voluntarily. “It is a criminal offense to settle or develop any infrastructure in wetlands without a permit issued in accordance with the law. Under the National Environment Act, Cap 181, NEMA issued Environmental Restoration Orders after establishing that there was encroachment on the wetlands. We have continually reminded the affected persons to vacate through physical notices, radio, and TV, but to no avail,” Karekaho said.
NEMA has conducted several large-scale evictions in Lubigi Wetland over the years as part of efforts to restore the ecosystem. One of the most significant operations occurred in May and June 2024 when hundreds of structures in Nansana and Busega were demolished following a presidential directive, leaving many residents homeless-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
