Speaker Criticizes Police for Blocking LOP at Lubigi Eviction Site

Summary:

• Speaker Anita Among criticized Ugandan police for blocking Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi from inspecting the Lubigi eviction site. She questioned NEMA’s enforcement and highlighted concerns of double standards in evictions.

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KAMPALA, (Examiner) – Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has sharply criticized Ugandan police for obstructing Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi during his visit to the Lubigi site, where the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) recently evicted hundreds of residents.

“If someone is going to check on the people in that area and you respond with teargas, where shall we ever find refuge? I would really want to hear from the government because it wasn’t called for,” Among stated.

She highlighted potential flaws within NEMA, questioning why people were able to settle in wetlands for years without intervention. “Much as we aren’t supposed to interfere with enforcement bodies like NEMA, if someone starts construction and settles in a place for years, and NEMA doesn’t recognize it as a gazetted area, then there is a problem,” she added.

Among described the incident as unfortunate, emphasizing that Ssenyonyi was performing his oversight duties.

LOP Ssenyonyi explained he was at the site to gather information before presenting the evictees’ concerns to Parliament. He accused NEMA of double standards in its operations.

“These people are concerned about the double standards. In the middle of that area, there’s a police station. Everything around it has been demolished, except the police station. So, the people are asking, why? There’s also a fuel station. Some residents claim they settled in that area before the police station was built, raising questions about these double standards,” he said.

Last week, the Buganda Land Board stated that those who avoided eviction in the Lubigi wetland had obtained NEMA’s approval to construct in the area, advising buyers to secure such approvals before developing land in wetlands.

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