Residents protest against fencing off water source

Sseryazi Herbert

A row has erupted between investors of Laaluma Nivas Ltd and local residents over the fencing off of a water source in Namanve industrial park in Mukono municipality.

The affected villages are; Kolo, Kireku and Nantabulirirwa in Mukono Goma Division.

“The investors have put up a perimeter wall around the vast site for developing of a mega agro processing facility. They are now threatening to pour soil in the water source and then fence it off yet it is the only water source we depend on,” said one of the residents.

Another resident said: “We have no problem with the investors implementing the project. Our major concern is fencing off the community water source that residents have been using for years. The Uganda Investment Authority should intervene and resolve the dispute."

Ssozi Robert the area councillor, claimed local residents were not consulted when the investor was putting up the perimeter, Ssozi also revealed that they wrote to Laaluma Nivas Ltd directing them to construct another water source to the residents before fencing it off.

According to the letter dated 28th September 2020, Laaluma Nivas Ltd senior directors wrote to police asking for adequate security to enable them fence off the water source because it was compensated under the world bank project in 2020 and a total of 17 water points where put up in surrounding communities.

Our efforts to get comment from the investors where futile as they were not picking their phones.