As Uganda faces a troubling surge in forced land evictions, a recent report by Witness Radio highlights the seriousness of the ongoing crisis. In just six months, more than 360,000 Ugandans have been displaced, bringing to light the heart-wrenching stories of elderly residents who have lost their ancestral lands to aggressive land grabbers which has prompted widespread outrage and urgent calls for intervention. Despite President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s 2022 ban on land evictions, this issue persists unchecked.
The mid-year report covering January to June 2024, documents an alarming 90 land evictions that have affected at least 363,021 individuals. The statistics are grim with an average of 2,160 livelihoods being lost each day. Currently, over 121,000 hectares of land are under threat of seizure, primarily for profitable ventures such as oil and gas extraction, mining, agribusiness, and tree plantations aimed at carbon offsetting.
The emotional impact of these evictions is particularly harsh for the elderly, many of whom have dedicated their lives to cultivating the land that has now been taken from them. One such victim, 78-year-old Maria Nakato, recalls the day armed men arrived at her farm with bulldozers in tow.
“I was tending to my crops on the land I had lived on for decades when they came,” she shared, her voice shaking with emotion. “They ordered me to leave, claiming I was trespassing. I begged them, but they showed no compassion.”
Maria’s experience is echoed by many vulnerable elderly individuals across Uganda who have been exploited by land grabbers. Most lack the resources and knowledge necessary to defend themselves which leads them to be easy targets for powerful investors and government officials who manipulate legal loopholes to seize land.
The report notes that in the first half of 2024, there were 65 recorded attacks on defenders of the land and the environmental as well as climate activists who oppose illegal land evictions. This atmosphere of intimidation has had a chilling effect by discouraging many from voicing their concerns.
Joshua Amanya, a local activist, expressed the fear that is rife among the populace:
“People are afraid. They’ve witnessed what happens to those who stand up to the grabbers. The government must step in to protect those most at risk, especially the elderly who have no one to defend them.”
The regional impact of these forced evictions is pronounced, with the Central region emerging as the epicenter with 52 reported cases. The Western region follows with 24 evictions, while the Northern and Eastern regions report 8 and 6 cases, respectively.
However, these figures represent only a small portion of the actual situation, as another 340,059 Ugandans remain at constant risk of eviction, threatening their livelihoods.
Witness Radio’s report also highlights that 22,962 people have been completely evicted, with land grabbers successfully taking over 7,150 hectares.
The consequences are dire, especially for the elderly who often rely on their land for both sustenance and security.
“This is ancestral land. We have been on this land for centuries. It is more than just soil; it embodies my heritage,” lamented 80-year-old Juma Kigozi, who has watched his once-thriving farm turn to dust. “I worry about my children’s future.”
Local organizations and activists are mobilizing to draw attention to this crisis, pressing the government to take action to safeguard the rights of the most vulnerable, particularly the elderly who may lack the capacity to defend themselves against powerful interests.
“Many of these people are targeted because wealthy individuals know they are weak and unable to resist,” explained Amanya. “It’s the government’s duty to make sure there are serious laws that protect people’s land especially the elderly who have lived on it for decades.”
Land evictions have become alarmingly commonplace in Uganda. Amnesty International reported that by January 2021, security forces had forcibly evicted over 35,000 individuals from more than 2,300 families in the Kiryandongo district to clear land for industrial agricultural projects.
With an estimated 121,000 hectares of land at risk, the time for action is now. Witness Radio Uganda is urging immediate government intervention to strengthen land law enforcement, protect local communities from unlawful evictions, and ensure justice for those affected.
