The people of Ruhinda Sub County, whose properties were destroyed during the recent operation by the environment and water offices in restoring wetlands, have been cautioned by the Rukungiri Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Hajji Masokoyi Wasswa, to cease threatening his staff.
Speaking to officials from Rukungiri district and other Buyanja Sub County leaders yesterday Tuesday, Hajji Masokoyi made the remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the staff quarters project at Buyanja Health Center (III) in Buyanja town council Rukungiri district.
The announcement by the CAO followed a barrage of social media posts in which Ruhinda locals accused Rukungiri district leaders of illegally demarcating their lands and damaging their properties while carrying out the wetland restoration project.
In his first remarks since the drama began early last week, CAO Masokoyi made it very evident that the district had been given a project to restore wetlands by the ministry of water and environment, and that they had been given funding to carry it out.
He continued by saying that they began by working on the project in the Sub Counties of Bwambara, Bugangari, Nyakishenyi, and Nyarushanje. They are now in Ruhinda and want to expand to more Sub Counties after that.
Masokoyi went on to say that some individuals try to mislead others by posing as lawyers and showing that they are wasting their time since the district wants to see residents leave wetlands.
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Hajji Masokoyi Wasswa continued by cautioning the people of Ruhinda not to intimidate his employees since they were carrying out the government’s legitimate decision.
Masokoyi stated that since his staffs are government workers, they should sue the government rather than individuals, implying that he and the attorney general should take responsibility for any wrongdoing.
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During the same event, Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Nsubuga Bewayo Stephen revealed that Ruhinda’s wetland story is political and that the goal is to undermine Rukungiri’s calm because there hasn’t been any noise for some good time.
Ruhinda Sub County people who are upset about being forced out of wetlands were warned by RDC Bewayo that if they keep threatening to sue, the district will take appropriate action, since the law stipulates that wetlands must be 30 meters from rivers or other bodies of water.
On the other hand, he claimed that no crops were harmed during the effort to restore wetlands in Ruhinda Sub County, only trees that were chopped down since they consume a lot of water.
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Recently, environmental law enforcement personnels from Rukungiri, supported by police officers, raided the wetlands of Ruhinda Sub County.
Armed with firearms, hoes, sticks, and machetes (pangas), the officers began carrying out an order to drive out encroachers from the so-called degraded marsh.
The locals allege that environmental law enforcement destroyed several houses and acres of crops, including sugarcane, beans, maize, yams, and banana plantations.
The affected residents accuse GISO Mr. Bindeeba Moses and Ruhinda Sub County Chairperson Mrs. Hellen Kabajungu of ordering district officials to illegally place mark stones on their property and damage crops.
The Rukungiri district Water and Environment officers, Ruhinda chairperson LC3, and GISO were threatened to be sued last week by over 300 victims for wrongful land demarcations and property destruction that happened during the wetlands restoration operation.
This forced the CAO and RDC Rukungiri district to make an appearance.
