By Ronnie Weswa
SIRONKO
Residents from four sub counties neighboring Mt Elgon National Park have rejected government project worth three billion shillings over current boundary disputes.
Government of Uganda under Uganda wild life authority [UWA] in partnership with Rwezori trekking services limited signed a memorandum of understanding this year in January to develop Mt Elgon national park at Sironko district in the sub counties of Masaba , Zesui, Bugitimwa and Namugabwe.
While speaking on Saturday 16th April, 2022 at Bugitimwa sub county near Mt Elgon national park during a community engagement meeting chaired by Isaiah Sasaga Wazira the area member of parliament, Brian Kibalama the manager of Rwezori trekking services limited said that they are going to partner with government to construct good accommodation lodges for tourists, plant bamboo trees, construct roads connecting to the National Park, introduce mashroom growning to people around the park among others as a way of promoting tourism and developing the area.
He added that the project was supposed to start in January this year but has been delayed because community members from the four sub counties claim that national park land belongs to them so they want compensation before the project commences.
Mr. Kibalama said ‘’ this confusion has made us delay starting works since government and community both claim ownership of the Park land’’.
Simon Gibuda the LCIII chairperson of Bugitimwa sub country says in 2017 government regazetted the boundaries of Mt Elgon national park while upgrading it from forest reserve to national park.
‘’During the redrawing of the boundaries over 2000 people by that time from those four sub counties neighboring the park had their land curved into the park and the government pledged to compensate them which has never happened update’’ Mr. Gibuda said.
Mr. Gibuda also said that currently the number of people living in the park has multiplied from 2000 to 5000 from the four sub counties neighboring Mt Elgon national park in Sironko district and that these people are going to lose their land yet the government has not yet compensated them if that project commences.
The LCIII added that this project is going to benefit locals and the country but the government would have first compensated people whose plots of land were curved into the Park.
Julius Wasukila, the LCIII chairperson of Zesui Sub County said that UWA has also created confusion whereby currently they have four boundaries i.e one of 1936, 1993, 1999, 1998 and 2017.
Wasukila added that this has created confusion in people neighboring the park and leaders about knowing real boundaries.
Patrick Wanyala and Samuel Wedanya both the affected residents from Masaba Sub County, said they are not ready to welcome the project unless the government fulfills the pledge of compensation.
They added that they can’t just leave their pieces of land to be taken by the government in the pretense that they are going to develop the national park.
John Hunwich, the executive director of Rwezori trekking services limited urged people to be calm and allow the project to start then they present their matters to court against the government later.
‘’This project was going to benefit local community members directly and indirectly by employing their children, developing the area with social services, and their agricultural products were going to be on market among others’’ Mr. Hunwich said.
Lydia Gibone, female councilor representing Budadiri town council who represented the LCV of Sironko district during the meeting urged the government to first listen to locals and agree on the matter peacefully rather than using force so that the district doesn’t lose the multibillion project.
She also appealed to local leaders in the four sub counties to continue sensitising locals about the benefits of this project such that it can be welcomed.
Honorable Isaiah Sasaga Wanzira said that he is going to do what it takes to ensure the project takes off since its going to benefit people in the area.
He added that the government must fulfill the pledge of compensating people who were curved in the national park during redrawing of boundaries in 2017.
Mr . Sasaga said ‘’I’m going to reach out to the office of the prime minister and other relevant offices to expedite the process of compensations such that the project can start in time’’.
However, Fredrick Kizza the manager of Mt Elgon Uganda world life authority said, in the last two years the tourism industry was seriously hit due to the outbreak of covid19.
He added that as a way of raising the industry, last year they advertised in the media for a vacancy of any developer who can come in and partner with the government to develop Mt Elgon national park where by Rwezori trekking services limited applied and was awarded works.
Kizza also said that the Rwezori trekking services limited has failed to start work on developing the area since January this year after the community claimed park land.
‘’ Due to park boundary disputes between UWA and the community, the government under the ministry of lands in 2017 regazetted boundaries across Mt Elgon national park and they planted concrete land marks on boundaries’’ Mr. Kizza said.
Mr . Kizza also said that after redrawing boundaries , locals from Bumasobo sub county in Bulambuli sued government claiming that the new boundaries have curved in their land and court ordered government to compensate them which they are planning to do but in Sironko and other districts neighboring national park they have no plan of compensating them because that’s government land.
