Parliament has asked the office of the prime minister to immediately stop the eviction of people living around Mt Elgon National park by Uganda Wildlife Authority officials in Sebei sub region.
However this directive was issued by the speaker to the third deputy prime minister Rukia Nakadama following a request by Kween county MP William Chemonges.
However the speaker said that even if the people were encroaching they don’t deserve to be evicted as a way out is sought.
Following Chemonges petition to parliament,he said homes of about 30 families have been destroyed in reported evictions despite the fact they have lived there for more than 40 years.
“ between April 24 and 28 this year , UWA carried out illegal evictions along the boundary of Mt Elgon National Park .They uprooted crops such as maize and beat up people and up to now nobody has come to their rescue,”said William Chemonges the area MP of Kween county.
He added on to say that families settled there before the area was demarcated as part of Mt Elgon National Park and that officials at the UWA office in Mbale weren’t aware of the evictions.
Chemonges called on gov’t to resettle the affected persons
In October 27,2005 consent judgment and decree of the Uganda high court, the 1500 hectare area in question was to be withdrawn from its designation as a national park area and the indigenous Benet inhabitants therein were entitled to stay within the area undisturbed and carry out their agricultural activities.
Meanwhile Chemonges tasked the Attorney General with informing parliament of the status of the consent judgment and called on the government to urgently resettle the affected persons.
He was supported by T’oo county MP Solomon Chelangat who said resettlement packages of people resettled in camps in Yotui and Teryet in Bukwo district have not been delivered in our five years.
However the speaker of Parliament Among directed that all the affected persons of evictions in the area ought to be supported with relief from the office of the prime minister.
Consequently on her part deputy prime minister Nakadama committed to hold a meeting this Friday to receive a report on the matter and put it to rest.
…”I will call the minister of tourism and we shall meet with all the area MPs so that we can solve this matter and see how it can be concluded,”She said.