Over 7,000 Nakasongola Families Still in Lake Kyoga Buffer Zone Two Years After Eviction Order

Two years after the government ordered residents out of the newly expanded Lake Kyoga buffer zone, over 7,000 households in Nakasongola District remain in place. The June 2024 directive gave a six-month deadline, but families in areas like Zengebe in Lwampanga Town Council have not vacated their homes and businesses.

Residents claim they legally bought land with government titles, expecting compensation that never came. Christopher Kambugu from Zengebe said his family invested heavily, only to lose most of their five-acre plot to the new boundaries. Edmond Ssegawa added that rising lake levels left them stranded after 20 years in the area, with no funds to relocate.

District leaders admit planning gaps and funding shortages. LC5 Chairperson Sam Kigula noted hopes to use degazetted land from Kyalubanga Central Forest Reserve, but progress stalls. Natural Resources Officer Charles Andama explained the 200-meter buffer from the new low water mark protects against floods and encroachment, though marker stones are incomplete.

Public facilities are also impacted, including administrative offices in Lwampanga Town Council. LC3 Chairperson George William Lubega said even these need relocation, as no compensation plans exist despite appeals.

The issue stems from severe floods between 2021 and 2023 that submerged villages across subcounties like Nabiswera, Kalungi, and Lwampanga, displacing thousands. While health centers and schools were moved, many residents feel left behind along the district’s 100km Lake Kyoga shoreline hosting 25 landing sites.

This standoff pits environmental safeguards against residents’ rights, leaving futures uncertain.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)