Nakasongola residents accuse NFA of stealing their valley dams.
Over 20,000 Residents of Wabinyonyi and Kakoge sub counties in Nakasongola district have pleaded with parliament to prevail over the National Forest Authority not take over their valley dams on the ground that they are in forest reserves.
The group led by area members of parliament like Nakasongola county mp Noah Wanzala and the district woman mp Victoria Zawedde told the parliamentary committee on Environment and Natural Resources that is investigating the matter that NFA fenced off the land which had the valley dams that have been providing water to their animals and residents.
The residents from kyankonwa ,katugo claim that they were refused to access the valley dams that were construct for them by government and European Union and most of them have relocated to other areas where they still face water scarcity.
Some also claim that their fellow residents were arrested and are jailed for having tried to continue forcing themselves on this land which have valley dams .
The nine valley dams which the residents currently can access and their animal are dying due to lack of water include; wampita -Namwanga dam,wakasambya,kyankonwa,katalendwa dam,kireka ,kinoni ,wakizizi,mitanzi and Bamusuta dam.
The residents who live near this forest reserve land where are valley dams want the government to provide them with alternative routes to access valley dams or relocate the valley dams.
Katugo Town council mayor Fred Lubinga asked the government to compensate the resident for being exposed to poverty by denying them to have water for their animals.
Nakasongola district Bernard SSekyanzi Kirya said that the National Forest Authority (NFA) is found of conniving with some land grabbers and take people’s land
The committee deputy chairperson Emilly Kugonza said that they are to meet with the officials from NFA to explain this matter regarding the blockage of routes going to valley dams and later go to Nakasongola to assess the matter and make a report to parliament.
