Residents of Ddimo Landing Site in Masaka District are in uproar after Major General Elly Kayanja of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) fenced off a significant portion of the area, restricting access to essential public facilities.
The enclosure has reportedly cut off community access to places of worship, public toilets, and drying racks vital for local fishermen. Some residents from Kyesiiga Parish in Kyanamukaaka Subcounty have been forced to seek refuge in nearby woodlands due to the sudden displacement.
Local leaders, including Subcounty Chairperson Gordon Mayanja, have condemned the move, highlighting the loss of government-provided facilities and the disruption to the community’s daily life. Mayanja has called on the government to intervene and protect public resources from private acquisition.
Pastor Joan, whose church was among the structures fenced off, expressed her disappointment and appealed to Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba to investigate the issuance of the land title. Fishermen, deprived of space to dry their nets, have urged the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to clarify the status of the land, which they claim has always been a public landing site.
General Kayanja maintains that he legally acquired the land title and intends to develop the area, not harm the community. However, NFA’s representative in Masaka, Robert Mubhokisa, asserts that the land remains under NFA jurisdiction and has not been issued to any individual.
As tensions escalate, residents have vowed to continue fighting for their rights until their grievances are addressed, hoping for intervention from higher authorities to restore access to their essential facilities.
