Panic and uncertainty have gripped residents of Katosi Landing Site in Mukono District following the demarcation of the Lake Victoria buffer zone by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), raising fears of possible evictions affecting thousands of people.
Residents whose properties fall within the newly demarcated 200-metre buffer zone say they are worried about losing their homes, businesses and schools, with local leaders estimating that nearly 60 percent of Katosi Town could be affected.
Besides Katosi Trading Centre, several surrounding villages and landing sites are also expected to be impacted as NEMA officials continue installing boundary markers in gardens and around settlements.
According to the authority, the affected areas fall within the protected Lake Victoria buffer zone.
The villages likely to be affected include Katosi Central, Kisakombe-Bunakijja, and Nakitolota-Kizaala Buganda, where more than 4,000 residents live.
Properties at risk include commercial buildings, residential houses and schools, some of which were established over 40 years ago.
Residents said the newly installed marker stones indicate that long-standing developments now fall within protected land, leaving many uncertain about their future.
“My children study in a school that has been here for decades. If these evictions happen, where will our children learn and where will our families go?” one resident asked.
The growing concern prompted local leaders to convene an emergency meeting attended by residents, security officials and town council leaders. However, officials from Mukono District and Katosi Town Council, who were expected to attend, did not show up.
Speaking at the meeting, Davis Ssegirinya, the LC1 chairperson of Kizaala Buganda Village, said many of the affected structures appear to be beyond the 200-metre limit, questioning why they were still included in the demarcation exercise.
Rita Nakazi, a resident of Kizaala Buganda, alleged that some individuals could be using the NEMA exercise to illegally acquire land, claiming that marker stones had been placed beyond the prescribed buffer zone.
“We suspect there are people who want to grab our land using NEMA’s exercise as a cover,” she said.
Local leader Nathan Wampi warned that the situation could worsen socio-economic conditions in the area, noting that many residents had already been pushed out of fishing activities and now face another wave of displacement.
Residents, led by Hajj Musa Mulika, vowed to resist what they described as an unfair takeover of their land, insisting they legally acquired their properties and have lived there for decades without disputes.
They further argued that they are not occupying wetlands, saying that according to the Katosi Town Council physical development plan, Kisakombe is the only officially recognised wetland in the area.
Police at Katosi, led by ASP Peter Muhire, urged residents within the buffer zone and wetlands to vacate, saying the exercise is intended to protect the environment and ensure public safety.
Mukono South Member of Parliament Robert Maseruka criticised NEMA’s approach, saying there was inadequate consultation and sensitisation of affected communities.
“Where does the government expect these people to go?” he asked, calling for dialogue and transparency before further action is taken.
The demarcation exercise has since intensified debate in Mukono, with residents demanding clarity on compensation, boundary accuracy and the long-term plan for affected communities along the Lake Victoria shoreline.