Gun Shots, Teargas Rock Wetland After Occupation

18 May 2011

Developments in Lubigi Wetland were this morning halted amid heavy gunshots and teargas that saw hundreds flee from the City main purifying wetland.

Hundreds of suspected army veterans had encroached on and degraded Lubigi Wetland in guise of constructing a market but the security forces surrounded a two-kilometer stretch prompting the encroachers hurl stones at them. The eviction exercise paralyzed business at Namungona in Lubaga Division at the outskirts of Kampala as the crowds stood by the road side slowing traffic on Hoima Road.

Police responded by firing live bullets in the air and teargas to disperse the group that had turned rowdy and arrested eight suspects who were whisked away to the police station.

The mid-morning shooting also left some people injured and other fainting prompting for the intervention of the Red Cross and a Police ambulance to handle causalities.

“We have occupied the wetland because it had been taken illegally. It is a public area and for one to acquire it, there are procedures that must be followed for it is criminal to occupy a land which does not belong to you,” said Mr Ibin Ssenkumbi, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Publicist.

Mr Ssenkumbi told journalist from their station at the Namungoona that the police was also investigating allegations of unscrupulous people who have been extorting money in guise of selling plots and stalls for renting.

“We are not allowing any one to come in now. Several efforts to talk to these people have been held but they remained adamant. We cannot tolerate this any longer and the structures will be removed to restore the swamp,” he said.

Last week, the encroachers invaded one of the city’s major wetlands which regulates floods and sewerage and started constructing make-shift structures in the wetland, a move that threatens to destroy the wetland.

The eviction comes hardly a day after outgoing Water and Environment Minister, Ms Maria Mutagamba reported that President Museveni did not sanction the destruction of the swamp before directing the encroachers to vacate immediately or face harsher penalties.

But Mr Dennis Ssebuufu, one of the leaders denied the presence of veterans in the area saying they are traders who sought a working place after being chased from the road sides.

“We are waiting for the senior Police officials and the ministry of lands to come as agreed in the meeting to allocate us another land. If they don’t come, we shall proceed to out stalls and resume working despite the deployment,” Mr Ssebuufu told journalists.

He explained: “We occupied this place without asking for permission because we wanted to be heard and catered for by government. Poor people are not helped by government and it is not easy to get permission that is why we vow not to leave this place until an alternative is given to us.”

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