news 28 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Bukaleba Residents Seek Clarity Amid Eviction Threats and Land Allocation Confusion
Communities living in the Bukaleba Central Forest Reserve are demanding clear answers from the government regarding a reported presidential directive to allocate 500 hectares of land, as fears of impending evictions grow. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/confusion-over-500-hectares-as-bukaleba-residents-face-eviction-5650196
Families residing in the Bukaleba Central Forest Reserve within Mayuge District are currently trapped in deep uncertainty as rumors and conflicting reports of evictions circulate through their communities. Local residents, particularly from areas such as Nakalanga A and B, Namugongo, and Walumbe, are urgently seeking official clarification concerning a previously reported presidential directive that was meant to allocate 500 hectares of land to the surrounding communities.
Seventy-year-old Moses Ngobi expressed grave concerns that decades of hard work and investment could vanish overnight if authorities move forward with forced removals. Similar anxieties were shared by 80-year-old Mercy Naigaga, who questioned where elderly residents would go after spending most of their lives building a home in the area.
The impending threat of displacement has caused immense emotional and financial distress. Norah Namukose broke down in tears while explaining that she was born and raised in the locality, echoing the fears of many who have established permanent houses and thriving farms.
Residents who invested funds from the Parish Development Model (PDM) into local agriculture worry that an eviction will wipe out their investments and leave them heavily indebted. Local leaders, including Nakalanga Village LC1 chairperson Tom Zirabamule Sekandi and LC3 chairperson William Atubo, have called on the relevant ministries to verify occupancy documents and properly communicate the status of the land.
Former Mayuge District Speaker Jackson Basalirwa urged immediate government intervention to prevent any escalation of the dispute. Meanwhile, Mayuge Resident District Commissioner Ramathan Walugembe has promised to step in and address the residents’ concerns.
On the institutional side, Issa Katwesige, the Assistant Commissioner for Forestry at the Ministry of Water and Environment, noted that the matter is currently before Parliament and that authorities are awaiting a formal decision.
Read more details in the Daily Monitor report.