National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has launched 20 Community Based safe spaces to handle cases of gender-based violence and human rights abuses in Kiboga, Buliisa, Hoima and Kikuube districts.
The safe spaces will enable victims of gender based violence, human rights abuses facing stigma get psycho social support, counselling, referrals and legal information under community caretakers who were identified and trained by NAPE in conflict resolution, counselling, gender equality and peace building.
The safe spaces were on 21st July launched in Kiboga, the NAPE’s Community Green Radio which is the mouthpiece of NAPE’s work will also have a safe space for victims from Kiboga district.
While speaking at the function, Rajab Bwengye the coordinator of projects at NAPE said the idea of setting up safe spaces was as a result of increasing gender-based violence cases and human rights abuses as a result of COVID-19, oil extractives and food insecurity.
Frank Muramuzi, the NAPE executive director said the environment cannot be well protected if the community is unhealthy with high level of violence and food insecurity and called for concerted efforts to end violence.
The Deputy RDC for Kiboga, Mathius Lutwama called for other means of solving domestic issues other than fighting. He said women can find a way of handling their spouses without using violence and also men.
Oil refinery residents organized under Oil Refinery Residents Association (ORRA) in Hoima district, western Uganda have conducted a training to share their experiences on how to carry out community mobilization with National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE).
The meeting held on 14th June, was attended by NAPE staff together with oil refinery affected residents in Hoima district. The training focused on youth, persons living with HIV, PWDs as the most vulnerable persons who are left out in the development processes thus escalating conflicts and discrimination.
ORRA has been at the forefront of the fight against conflicts and human rights violations caused by the oil refinery development since 2012. They have been pushing for fair compensation and improved standards of living after they were evicted from their land by government to pave way for oil refinery.
Ms.Abigaba Esther, the community mobilizer under ORRA says mobilizing communities to fight against government decisions that oppress them requires courage and team work by the community representatives for the voices to be amplified and heard. She noted that women are the majority in communities and they need to be involved and organized in groups to be able to support each other and be confident.
Ms. Abigaba notes that women groups, local leaders, religious leaders, village health teams and radio have become best channels through which the communities are mobilized.
“As leaders we were receiving threats from government but we did not bow to pressure. The government would come with predetermined decisions but we would stand on our feet and refuse. In the long run, this would motivate the communities we are representing,” said Ms.Abigaba.
Eric Tukamuhabwa, the chairperson of the elderly in Kigaaga village in Kabaale Sub County said the elderly and the people living with HIV/AIDS are still discriminated when it comes to community mobilization. He explained that they need to be brought on board through leaders of special interest groups who can easily talk to them and understand their needs.
Gad Ambrose, the Hoima district Chairperson for People Living with Disabilities said there is a need to fight against the barriers of people with disability in development such as discrimination and segregation to be able to fully involve them.
Joan Akiiza, the NAPE Legal Officer said the engagement was full of learning and sharing experiences which can be adopted to help NAPE as an organization to mobilize local communities and reduce conflicts.
Journalists from the Albertine region under their umbrella Albertine Journalists’ Platform (AJOP) together with Community Green Radio listeners’ club members from the areas affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project have been equipped with basic skills in community Journalism.
Albertine Journalists’ Platform (AJOP), formed under the auspice and guardianship of the Sustainability school project, brings together all journalists from different media houses in the Oil region with an aim of imparting knowledge and skills to enhance their capacity to report on issues that affect the communities they serve.
The training that took place at ATKON hotel in Kiboga town council in May this year attracted journalists from media houses from the districts of Hoima, Kakumiro, Kibaale, Kiboga, Buliisa and Kyankwanzi. It also attracted Community Green Radio listeners’ representatives and the Project affected persons from Luanda, Kibiga sub-county in Kiboga distrct and areas of Nabidondolo, Gayaza all in Kyankwanzi district.
The training that dwelled on imparting knowledge on the issues that need coverage in the community and building the capacity of the journalists was facilitated by Prof. Adolf Mbainefrom Makerere Universitydepartment of mass Communication. Prof. Mbaine called upon the Journalists and Community members to embrace the skills enhancement for the wellbeing of the communities.
“The purpose of imparting the basic community reporting skills is to enable the journalists and the community reporters to enhance your skills in reporting about the vast issues affecting the community” Prof. Mbaine elaborated.
Prof. Mbaine said that most journalists have not taken keen interest in acquiring basic skills that enable them to multi-task yet Journalism is a very sensitive profession that is affected whenever the economy and other factors change.
Julius Kyamanywa, the station manager -Community Green Radio station said that the aim of convening the Journalists under the Albertine Journalists’ platform is meant to create avenue for reviewing how different media houses carry on their profession given the acquired skills.
“The platform creates an avenue through which journalists from the different media houses can come together and share knowledge on professionalisms based on different issues that affect the community” said Kyamanywa.
Meanwhile the Community Green Radio listeners’ clubs members from Kiboga and Kyankwanzi also revealed that being involved in a capacity building meeting with professions like Journalists exposes them to sharing ideas that help them improve their livelihood, conserve the environment better and other key areas of life.
Asuman Ssembatya, the chairperson for Bwakedde Butya listeners’ club in Nabidondolo parish-Kyankwanzi district also expressed gratitude for being considered as important community members by NAPE under the sustainability school project.
Allan Kalangi, the Sustainability school project manager revealed that the all avenues have been created for the Journalists and the community members to learn more about what is required of them to practice good journalism but they should embrace the skills to move to a greater level.
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has been hailed for creating mechanisms to solve conflicts between refugees and host communities in Kyangwali refugee resettlement camp in Kikuube district.
Jolly Kebirungi, the Refugee Desk Officer that coordinates Kyangwali and Kiryadongo refugee camps with the district officers, says the influx of refugees has continuously put pressure on existing natural resources and services, sparking conflicts between the refugees and the host communities.
“The refugees have increased from 35,000 in 2017 to over 350,000 currently and when they come they are integrated in the host communities leading to competition over resources like land, water and firewood and services like health services,” says Kebirugi.
Kebirungi, however, notes that the formation of Local Peace Committees and building the capacity of its members has played a big role in bringing both the host communities and refugees to solve conflicts through dialogue and mediation.
“When they sit together, the host communities appreciate that the refugees need to be accommodated and the issues are mediated; not only with the host communities but also conflict arising from the refugees himself,”Kebirugi said.
She also appreciated the involvement of women in peace building since they are the most affected by the conflicts.
“Women involvement in peace building is helping to build women’s confidence in mediating and also reporting the cases,” she added.
Nelson Atich, the Bugambe sub county speaker in Kikuube district also noted that the Local Peace Committee in Rwamutonga has helped communities report the cases at no cost.
“When one reports a case at the LC1, they charge you some fee for committee members and it’s always bribery at play. So many people end up abandoning cases due to lack of money. However, with the LPC, people are getting their cases resolved at no cost,” Atich says.
The local area leader for Kijayo village that hosts Kijayo IDP, Edward Tumusiime, says the LPC has engaged Hoima Sugar company leaders in dialogue over pollution of water and poor roads and they are positively responding to their challenges.
The government of Uganda has handed over 127 land titles to persons affected by the Oil refinery project in Hoima district western Uganda. These are part of the 133 titles that are supposed to be issued to the oil refinery project affected persons-PAPs.
In 2012 the government of Uganda acquired 29 square kilometres of land for the construction of the Oil refinery in 13 villages in Kabaale parish in Buseruka sub-county in Hoima District western Uganda. More than 7,000 people were displaced and some of them resettled to Kyakaboga village in Buseruka sub-county where the government acquired 533 acres of land and constructed permanent houses.
However, since then, the project-affected persons -PAPs have been demanding their land titles in vain despite the government committing itself that the titles would be issued before they are resettled.
The titles were on May 19 given to the Oil Refinery Project Affected Persons-PAPs in Kyakaboga village in Buseruka sub-county by Peter Lokeris, the State Minister for Energy and Mineral Development.
Lokeris said the processed titles are a guarantee to the PAPs to genuinely own their land without interference. He added that the handover of the titles is yet another key achievement made in the implementation of the Refinery Resettlement Action Plan- RAP.
The minister cautioned the beneficiaries to take the titles very crucial and warned them from the sale of their land.
Innocent Tumebwaze, the chairperson of Kyakaboga sustainability school under National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) attributed their activism to pursue the land titles to empowerment and amplification of their voices from NAPE.
“Some of us who were actively following up the issue of land titles have been the target of persecution from government. They always wanted to intimidate and silence us but NAPE kept amplifying our voices through the radio and video documentaries and empowering us through trainings,” said Tumwebaze.
He, however, noted that there are still irregularities where some PAPs did not get the land titles because they did not sign the transfer forms while others got titles for only the house but not their entire land. He said they will continue to push for it.
Grace Gipatho one of the project-affected persons said her title will give a big boost to the protection of her land.
“We ran away from conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo so we need sanity and peaceful co-existence here in a refugee camp,” said Maria Godance, the Vice chairperson of Local Peace Committee in Kyangwali Refugee camp in Kikuube district after resolving a land conflict case.
The case was reported by Maombe Esther a 26 year old mother of three who claimed that her small plot of land given to her by the Office of the Prime Minister was grabbed by her neighbor, Wimana Thereza. The long standing feud between the two parties began in 2017, when Maombe was hospitalized at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital for three months. Upon her return, she found when Wiman was already cultivating her land.
However, Maombe’s efforts to seek assistance from their local leaders at Refugee Welfare Council One (RWC1) yielded no results as the leaders constantly demanded her money to solve her case which she did not have. The conflict was resolved and the two reunited in April this year after the intervention of the Local Peace Committee established by National Association of professional Environmentalists (NAPE).
According to Maria Godance, the trauma of violence, loss and displacement that was experienced by the refugees back in their countries was felt by many and people’s needs in the camp make them easily irritated.
The case that was resolved is among over 50 cases that have been reported to LPC members; some of which have been resolved, others referred while others pending hearing.
According to the Local Peace Committee members, most conflicts are related to poverty, fetching water at water points, inadequate land for cultivation and domestic violence which are affecting women and girls.
Fredrick Buankela, one of the Committee member says Local Peace Committees is one of the mechanisms where such conflicts and tension in the camp are resolved.
The LPC consists of men and women who serve as mediators and spread messages of peaceful co-existence and use of non-violent conflict solving.
“Back home, before the war, life between men and women was better, our husbands had money and could take care of families. After we lost everything, things became difficult in the families. Through the local peace committees, men and women learn about forgiveness and being patient,” said Buankela while counselling couples who had reported a case of domestic violence.
Nyegenya Vincent, the NAPE’s Kyangwali Peace Hub focal person says Local peace committee also works with police in handling cases that go beyond the structure of local peace committees.
He also notes that peace-building work needs to ensure that refugees can live in dignity and look beyond merely serving the next day and for this case income generating activities such as knitting are part of the project.
“Women are engaged in knitting and basketry so that they can get income and reduce the conflicts,” says Nyegenya.
Fishing communities in Kaiso fishing village along Lake Albert in Hoima District, Western Uganda are struggling to access clean water.
Kaiso area LC1 chairperson, Henry Irumba says that Kaiso has about 120,000people that depend on only one bore hole for clean and safe water.
Irumba says those who cannot stand the long queues have no choice but to use the lake which is the main source of water.
He however notes that lake water is not safe as people have turned it into a toilet due to lack of sanitation facilities.
He says the area had only one public toilet that got full and many people, especially new entrants at the shores have no latrines.
“People largely depend on lake water but it’s not safe. One has to be patient on the long queue in order to get clean water. Open defecation is common in the lake as latrine coverage is low. The shores are littered with faeces while other people use polythene papers and throw in the lake” said Mr. Irumba.
The residents say the situation has been made worse by raising water levels that evicted over 250 families from the lake shores and pushed them further in upper areas of community wild life area where they have to trek for over 12 kilometres to the nearest water source.
“And for people evicted by floods, accessing water from either the borehole or the lake has become a night mare. One has to spare a day meant to trek for a jerry can of water,” Mr. Irumba added.
Ms. Sylvia Kemigisa, the chairperson of Kaiso Women’s Group in Kaiso village says trekking long distances for water has affected mainly women who no longer engage in productive work. She says a 20-littre Jerrycan of water at the landing site costs between 1500 to 2000 Ugandan shillings which most households cannot afford
“Women do most of the house chores including collecting water. A woman wakes up very early in the morning to beat the long queues at the borehole. By the time she returns home, it’s already midday and raising 2000 shillings per day for a jerry can or two in unaffordable for women here whose livelihoods were affected by COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kemigisa.
Ms. Kemigisa says absence of public toilet has encouraged defecation in all open places at the fishing site and the residents use polythene bags and later dump wastes in water yet they also use it for home use. There is also a lot of littering on the shores by the community.
As part of the celebrations to mark world water day, the women engaged in cleaning the lake shores while raising awareness on the need to increase safe water access at the shores. They also called upon communities to improve hygiene practices so that the lake water is safe for human consumption.
They were also supported National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) to appear on Community Green Radio Kiboga to raise awareness on issues affecting them.
Atukwatse Peruth, the program officer for climate change at National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) says access to clean water is a right to every Uganda.
She says flooding that happened last year on most of the lakes is a clear indicator that climate change is real.
Ms. Atukwatse opines that government needs to prepare early enough for the affected communities and improve access to clean water by constructing boreholes and rain water harvesting tanks as well as adequate sanitary hygiene facilities for the fishing communities, lest a serious disease outbreak awaits these communities.
This year’s theme is celebrated under the theme, “Ground water: Making invisible visible”
For the past seven years, residents of Rwamutonga village in Kikuube district have been traveling back and forth between Hoima and Masindi seeking justice for their land in the High court.
The residents, who still carry the trauma of August 2014 forceful eviction that woke them up with gunshots and teargas and left them homeless to pave way for a US based oil waste treatment plant, have not yet got good news in any of their trips to court on the status of their land ownership.
According to the Bugambe sub county speaker, Nelson Atich, over 200 affected residents were, before eviction, living on the land for years without any legal document. However, two businessmen; Robert Bansigaraho and Tibagwa Joshua processed and included the residents’ land in their illegal land title after getting a deal with the waste treatment plant.
After eviction in 2014, they stayed in the camp for internally displaced people for about two and a half years. However, in early 2017, court declared the eviction unlawful and they returned back to their land while waiting for a court ruling on the ownership of land.
On 8th March 2022, during a dialogue on land issues that was organized by National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) for the Rwamutonga evicted people with the Area Land committee, District Land Board and the local leaders, they identified the postponement of court dates, lack of enough lawyers for legal representation and lack of transport to facilitate their travels to the high court in Masindi as some of the major setbacks in obtaining a justice over their land.
Lucy Ongera, one of the affected people says the court case progress is slow and most of them can no longer afford transport to Masindi court to follow it up. She says their hopes are in their court representatives and they have fear of losing their land again.
Atich, blamed the then area land committee and the Hoima district land board for having not done enough to protect the residents who had no land titles leading to the two businessmen, Robert Bansigaraho and Joshua Tibagwa to enclose them in their land title.
Alice Nyangoma, the former member of Hoima district land board said corruption, lack of funding and failure by area land committees to conduct field visit have fuelled land conflicts as rich people connive with the committee members to take advantage of innocent people with no land titles.
She said the local communities still lack enough sensitization on land tenure security and hailed NAPE for the dialogue. She advised people to endeavor to process land titles to be secure on their land.
Joanne Akiiza, the NAPE Senior Gender and legal officer says article 237 of the constitution states that land belongs to the citizens of Uganda and Article 26 protects the right to own property either individually or in association with others like people who hold land communally.
She notes that the land tenure recognized in Uganda include customary, freehold, lease and Mailo land.
She, however, noted that the oil influenced land injustices in the oil region has led to lack of respect for customary land owners as land grabbers illegally process land titles.
She called upon the area land committees and district land boards to ensure that they help the local people in protection of their land against land grabbers and also urged the residents of Rwamutonga to be interested in getting updates for their case and following up court proceedings.
Rev. Fred Musiimenta, a resident of Butimba village in Kiziranfumbi Sub County in Kikuube district has for the last eight years been struggling to get the land title for his customary land in vain.
According to Musiimenta, the process of acquiring land title from the village level to the district was simple after getting a private surveyor and some money to push the process. However, the documents got stuck at the Ministry of lands Zonal Office in Masindi that keeps bouncing him back.
“Every time my surveyor visits office, he is told that the registrar of lands has not yet signed on my land titles. It’s now 8 years while I am processing my land title in vain,” said Rev. Musimenta.
The story is not different from Jane Atuhura, a resident of Walukuba village in Butiaba Sub County in Buliisa district. She says she has now spent almost seven years trying to process her land title but she is stuck because the Buliisa district land board is requesting a lot of money to have her documents processed.
The increasing land grabbing in the oil region has sparked the trend of conversion of land from customary to formal land tenures like freehold. This is because, however much the government recognizes the legitimacy of customary land systems, it does not come into reality.
However, this trend has not benefited the local communities with little resources due to corruption and frustrating processes of acquiring land titles.
Atich Nelson, the speaker for Bugambe Sub County in Kikuube district says land grabs are made possible because of how simple it is for the land title owner to easily accuse the customary owners of being squatters on the land. He says local people are currently finding it hard to process the land titles.
“When two business men acquired land titles, it was easy for them to accuse the 250 families that were evicted in 2014 in Rwamutonga village in Bugambe district as squatters on the land. This is because, they had no document to show proof of ownership because they were staying on the land customarily,” said Atich Nelson during a focus group discussion for evaluation of NAPE’s Sustainability School work that was conducted by ROSA Luxemburg in February 2022.
In December 2021, the Minister of state for Lands, Mario Obiga Kania ordered for probe into alleged corruption by the district land boards in Bunyoro sub region after establishing that several officials are issuing the land titles to the rich at the expense of the poor.
According to the minister, the land boards are also frustrating efforts by the poor to acquire land titles for their land by demanding a lot of money to have their land documents processed.
Besides corruption, others think the delayed land title processes in the region could be a deliberate move by government so that they can find it easy it terms of compensation while acquiring land for various oil projects.
“In Buliisa, the district council passed land ordinance in 2018 that had land reforms protecting local people on customary land. However, the solicitor general has since failed to sign it. I believe this is a deliberate move by government to restrict many people from getting land titles since they have been finding trouble with title owners when it comes to compensation,” said a government official from Buliisa district local government who preferred anonymity to protect his job.
Fred Lukumu, the Buliisa district chairperson says government should offer free land titles to the people in the Albertine region to prevent them from oil-influenced land injustices.
He also said there is need to put stringent measures to protect communities on customary land.
Kyankwanzi district leaders are set to petition President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in the land wrangles that have left about 1,000 residents in Gayaza sub-county forcefully evicted from their ancestral land.
The affected residents from Kyerere North, Kyerere East, Kiyuni central, Kiryajobyo west, and Kibanda villages. They are feuding with Linda Nyakairima, the widow of the late Internal Affairs Minister Gen.Aronda Nyakairima who is alleged to have fraudulently acquired a title for the land measuring about 5 square miles.
On 19th February this year, over 10 graders and excavators started clearing the area destroying crops and over 30 soldiers have been deployed to guard the contested piece of land as the destruction of people’s crops is ongoing.
This was done despite the orders that were issued by the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba in October last year that stopped any further transactions on the land until investigations on the rightful owner are complete.
On February 20 this year, a team of Kyankwanzi district Officials held a meeting with the affected residents and expressed disappointment over impunity and lawlessness being used by armed personnel that are overseeing the destruction.
Dr. John Mpuuga, the district chairperson said the involvement of land’s minister has not yielded results and now they have no option but to petition the president.
“Ever since Minister Nabakooba came here, I have been closely following up the matter. I have given her office whatever document needed over the residents’ ownership. Even early this week, I was at her office but I am surprised that out of blue, the destruction took place. I will not sit. I am now going to meet the president himself to intervene,” Mpuuga said while addressing the residents
Joel Ssebikali, the Member of Parliament for Ntwetwe County wonders why the orders that were put by Minister for Land, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba to stop any further transactions on the land until investigations are done were not followed by the security that spearheaded the eviction.
“It seems there are big people in this. This issue now beyond the district leaders and we need president’s intervention since the minister’s orders are irrelevant.
The Resident District Commissioner, Juuko Kasiita assured the residents that he will follow up the matter.
Leosam Sebalunzi, the LCIII Chairperson questions how the family of late Aronda Nyakairima acquired the land without the consent of the leaders. He says when they tasked the family to produce a title for the land, they were threatened by soldiers.
Linda Nyakairima could not be reached for comment.
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