Security officials in the Albertine region are investigating their own accused of extorting money from farmers in Bugoma central forest reserve in Kikuube district.
The majority of the complaints are against Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF soldiers and some police officers deployed to guard some part of the Bugoma forest reserve land that Hoima sugar limited leased from Bunyoro Kitara kingdom.
In April this year, Police backed by UPDF stormed Bugoma central forest reserve and forcefully evicted more than 20,000 people involved in illegal charcoal burning, cultivation, and harvesting timber among other activities.
The encroachers had occupied over 4,000 acres of land belong to Hoima Sugar Limited. The evictees raided the forest land after Hoima sugar limited leased it from Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom and started burning charcoal and harvesting timber while others opened up land for farming.
After their forceful eviction from the contested piece of land, Kikuube leaders pleaded with Hoima Sugar Limited to allow those with crops in Bugoma forest reserve to first harvest their crops.
In June this year, the management of Hoima Sugar Limited gave a three-month ultimatum to the more than 200 farmers to harvest their crops and leave. The affected people are now accusing UPDF and police officers deployed on the land of alleged extortion.
According to the victims, the officers are demanding between Shillings 300,000 and 350,000 to allow them to harvest their crops despite being allowed to do so by the management of Hoima sugar limited.
Benard Byamukama, one of the farmers, says that he was tasked to pay Shillings 350,000 to harvest his maize from the forest land being claimed by Hoima sugar limited.
Benard Mwesigye, another farmer says he paid Shillings 150,000 to the officers to allow him to harvest his beans.
Tadeo Rukundo also a farmer says that they were compelled to report the officers to the Kikuube RDC after the officers stopped them from accessing their gardens to harvest their crops.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District commissioner-RDC says following the complaints raised by the farmers, they have been compelled to institute a committee to investigate the officers for alleged extortion.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson, says a general inquiry file has already been opened against the implicated officers, adding that some of the complainants have already recorded statements with the police.
Hoima Sugar Limited leased close to 22 square miles of the contested Bugoma Central Forest reserve land from the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for sugarcane growing for 99 years.
However, the National Environment Management Authority -NEMA found that 13 of the 22 square miles are unfit for a sugar plantation and recommended their preservation since it is a wetland and forest reserve.
NEMA allowed Hoima Sugar factory to cultivate sugarcane on the remaining 9.24 square miles covering the grassland, establish an urban center on 1.26 square miles, an eco-tourism center on 1.97 square miles and restore 3.13 square miles of the forest reserve.
They also recommended the preservation of another 0.156 hectares for a cultural site and 6.17 square miles as a natural forest.
-URN
