Police fired live bullets and tear gas to disperse people who had gathered to narrate their situation to the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), who had visited Lubigi.
Early in the morning, Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of the Opposition, and other parliamentarians visited Lubigi to assess the condition of the people whose houses were demolished last week by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
However, the engagement did not end well as Police, backed up by the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), interrupted the function when they started firing live bullets and tear gas at the crowds to disperse them.
One affected individual, Musa Kayanja, a resident whose shop was demolished, says he has lost over 10 million shillings in property when the building he was renting was torn down. Kayanja seeks compensation from the government for his loss.
Judith Ayebale says she has lived in the area since 2011 and bought her plot of land for 25 million shillings, but she has never had any notification from the Authority that her house is in a wetland. She also mentioned that her house was not marked among those that were supposed to be demolished, but when she returned from work, she found her house had been destroyed.
Joel Ssenyonyi said that they went to the ground to understand the challenges of the people so that they can have an informed discussion on the floor of Parliament. He also mentioned that he is seeking a meeting with NEMA and the residents to find a solution for the people who settled in the Lubigi wetland so that their properties are not destroyed.
Frank Kabuye, Member of Parliament for Kasanda South, pointed out that although it is good to protect the environment, the Authority should have given the residents time to relocate so that their belongings would not be destroyed.
