The exhausted dry uplands in the Kigezi region have forced farmers to turn wetlands into crop gardens during the dry seasons for crop production, despite the government ban.
In October 2023, President Museveni issued an executive order directing the Internal Security Organisation and local authorities, including chief administrative officers, resident district commissioners, parish and sub county chiefs, to ensure strict protection of wetlands in the country. The executive order further noted that 200 meters from lake shores and 100 meters from riverbanks must be left vacant to allow bushes to grow.
But some farmers in the Kigezi sub-region have continuously cultivated the wetlands during the dry seasons, arguing that it is the only land available for crop production to overcome food scarcity during that period.
‘During the dry seasons, all the hilltops and valleys are completely dry and carrying out any crop production activities is next to impossible. For decades, our only remedy has been cultivating in the low lands for crop production to ensure food security in our respective households besides selling the surplus to fix the economic needs such as paying school fees for our children and buying essential manufactured goods such as salt, clothes and medicine in case our family members fall sick,’ Ms Anna Maria Kohumuhangi, an Irish potato farmer in Kabale district said.
She added that stopping them from using the low lands means the government must supply food items during the dry season that normally begins in June and ends in September every year.
Another farmer, Mr Johnson Gumanawe, said government promises of alternative support have not materialised.
‘We are aware of the presidential directives on vacating the wetlands but this is not practical because no alternative was provided to the farmers. For decades we have been using wetlands sustainably for crop production during the dry season and during the rainy seasons we utilize the uplands because naturally the wetlands would be water logged. The food produced during the rainy seasons cannot sustain our families during the dry season because less food is produced because of small land holdings in the area,’ Mr Gumanawe said.
He said if government can fulfil the promise of establishing solar irrigation schemes and provide organic manure, that could facilitate them to utilise the uplands during the dry seasons.
Some of the food crops grown in Kigezi wetlands during the dry seasons include Irish potato, beans, peas, maize, and vegetables such as cabbages and carrots, which are the main food for people in the area.
A prominent Irish potato seed producer in Rubanda district, Mr John Karugaba, said stopping wetland cultivation would hurt seed producers too.
‘We encourage the farmers to use quality seed for multiplication in gardens that are located on uplands but because of urgent need for seed during the dry season, some farmers opt to plant them in wetlands. In the dry season I supply about 150 bags of Irish potato seed to the farmers that establish gardens in wetlands,’ Mr Karugaba said.
The Rubanda Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Mr Hillary Bindeeba, said implementation of the executive order was halted after farmers petitioned President Museveni. The farmers requested a powerful irrigation scheme to provide water on the uplands before they vacate the wetlands, and the president accepted their plea.
‘These farmers know that they are operating in wetlands temporarily because they do not have alternative pieces of land where they can carry out crop production during the dry season. Once the presidential pledge of establishing an irrigation scheme in the area is fulfilled, nobody will be allowed to cultivate in wetlands. Wetlands will remain for fish farming, apiary among other wetland-friendly farming practices,’ Mr Bindeeba said.
Kabale LCV Chairman Mr Denis Nzeirwe Ndyomugyenyi said another hurdle is compensation.
‘Some time back, the government issued land titles to the farmers that had picked interest to carry out farming practices in wetlands before it accepted to have wetlands turned into arable land for agriculture. Implementing the executive order means that the government must first compensate the legal land owners,’ Mr Ndyomugyenyi said.