Police have used teargas to disperse residents of Kasokoso in Kira Municipality in Wakiso district. They had gathered for consultative meetings with local leaders over the pending evictions by NEMA.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago together with other political leaders from Kampala and Wakiso districts were attending a meeting co-hosted by the area MP Ssemujju Nganda and Nakawa East MP, Ronald Balimwezo.
However, the Uganda Police Force and the UPDF deployed the military at the venue where the meeting was to be held. The police claimed that they were not aware of it.
Ssemujju and other local leaders who attempted to resist were bundled on the patrol and driven back to their respective homes. The police engaged in running battles with residents resulting in some arrests.
Ssemujju explained some of the key issues that were meant to be discussed including the compensation process of the Kampala-Jinja Express Highway, Kireka police barracks land wrangle, and the eviction threats by the National Environment Authority.
“This was a consultative meeting to listen to people, one of the issues they have about the police barracks land, where some people are still being evicted with no clear demarcations of barracks land. The second issue is on Jinja Express Highway, people were told not to develop their land fourteen years ago, but they haven’t been compensated. People are living a miserable life,” Ssemuju said.
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