The Resident district commissioner (RDC) Kween District, Rtd ASP Atuhaire Hope has written to the office of the president requesting him to intervene following the mass destruction of crops Worth millions by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) in Kween District over the weekend.
In a letter seen by this publication, Mrs Atuhaire noted the agent intervention by the president over the issue.
Kween Constituency comprises of the Middle and Upper Belts. The Upper Belt is
mountainous and stretches from Mbale,Kapchorwa Kween and Bukwo in Uganda.
In the letter, she revealed that the furthest part of the Upper Belt of Kween District was gazzetted as a National Park and the areas around this park include Kaseko,Tuikan, Yatui, Kiatawoi, Benet, Kwosir, Kapkwata and Moyok.
Further , she noted that the communities that stay along these areas are farmers that engage in the cultivation of irish potatoes, maize and vegetables like cabbage, onions and tomatoes.
Mrs Atuhaire noted that last year in December, UWA staff destroyed their crops after an engagement that
involved the leaders of Kween(Area MP, RDC, LC3 Chairpersons and other local leaders
with UWA personnel) where the Chief Warder addressed the communities and ensured
them that they would work as a team to solve the conflict.
Despite that meeting, Atuhaire stretched out that UWA team went ahead and destroyed peoples irish worth millions
of shillings which report was made to the office of the president by the RDC of Kween.
According to her in May this year, The ministry of Lands convened a meeting involving the leaders of
Kapchorwa and Kween and UWA following the strained relations between the
community and UWA officials. From that engagement it was resolved that:
•The status quo remains until the Ministry of Lands verifies the demarcation lanes
separating the protectedareaandthe community land.
•This was supposed to be done this August 2024, with sensitization programs on
radio and with community members.
•Ministry of Lands to plant pillars making a clear demarcation of the protected area.
“Before the above activities commenced it was a surprise that UWA destroyedfarmerscrops
during the weekend of 10th-12
th August 2024,” she wondered.
She stated that UWA destroyed the crops inTemporary and
permanentsettlements inTuikat.
However, she revealed that she’s planning a field verificationactivity with other leaders and technical teams from the District.
“The purpose of this report is to request for intervention in this matter, bearing in mind
that most of these farmers have used PDM funds,” read the letter.
Leave a Reply