The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has called on the government to compensate victims of the ongoing demolitions in a crackdown that seeks to restore wetlands across the country.
Through their Treasurer Arthur Isiko, ULS has taken on an initiative to help the victims push for compensation for their destroyed properties before they relocate to new places as per the government directive.
He said the enforcement authorities had to first issue court orders before demolishing people’s houses. He has collected details of the victims to assist them in pushing for their next step.
‘We have come to give free legal advice. We have come to understand the grievances of the people, their challenges, and assist them in courts of law,’ he said as he addressed Lubigi evictions victims on June 3.
ULS is going to collect all the necessary information from the victims, including buying agreements for the land and all the other particulars, and come up with a court case to be filed in courts of law.
‘We all know that the Constitution of Uganda says that no person’s property shall be destroyed unless there’s a court order.’
Mr Isiko added that they have received several complaints from the people that National Environment Management Authority (Nema) didn’t notify them before demolishing their houses.
Residents of Buggu Village, Busabala Parish, Wakiso District, claim Nema conducted ‘surprise eviction’, arguing that no prior warnings were issued.
According to the affected residents, they had a meeting last month at Busabala Playground, with authorities from Nema, Ministry of Water and Environment, and local leaders and had reportedly agreed that the authorities would return for wetland demarcation on June 19, which agreement they claim was amended.
To their surprise, the enforcement team returned on Tuesday, June 2, and ordered all occupants to vacate. The operation triggered panic as residents rushed to save their belongings, including mattresses, furniture, clothes, iron sheets, and animals, among others.
Mr Ivan Ssentongo, one of the affected residents, expressed frustration over the abrupt enforcement and now wants the government to come to their rescue.
‘We are going to sleep outside. I have spent more than seven years here; how can Nema just enforce the eviction before the demarcations? We feel betrayed,’ he stated.
Makindye-Ssabagabo MP David Sserukenya asked Nema to halt the eviction exercise and adhere to the commitments made during the May 29 meeting. He challenged Nema to strengthen preventive enforcement measures by stopping illegal developments in wetlands before construction takes place, rather than waiting until residents have invested heavily in their properties.
‘People had gone to work when Nema held the operation, leaving properties destroyed.’
However, Mr William Lubuulwa, Nema’s communications officer, said he was not aware of the May 29 meeting cited by residents.
He maintained that occupants of the affected wetlands had been warned to vacate as early as 2024 but had ignored repeated directives.
‘I don’t want to speak on behalf of the locals. I don’t think Nema was part of the locals during the meeting [May 29]. If you say Nema was part of the meeting, this must have been the agreed action [enforcing the eviction],’ Mr Lubulwa stated during the interview.