Controversial city lawyer Yasin Ssentumbwe has disclosed that there is an invisible hand working behind National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) Executive Director Dr Barirega Akankwasah with the aim of grabbing land in Makindye Ssabagabo Wakiso district.
Ssentumbwe said that even though he secured a permanent order from NEMA tribunal stopping the demolishing of homes and other businesses established in the three villages of Buggu, Busaabala and Kibiri A until the conclusion of the cases before the Civil Division of the High Court Kampala and in the East African Court of Justices, NEMA is insisting on demolishing his client’s properties claiming that they are inside a wetland.
“We established that there is a businessman who wants to takeover my people’s land. He first sent his agents to talk to them to sell their land to him at a cheaper price and when they declined, he resorted to using NEMA to evict them but I will use all the legal alternatives to save my people’s rights to have a home,” Ssentumbwe said.
He added that because of NEMA’s threats, they hired experts from Strategic Sustainable Consults Limited which is one of the leading consultancy firm that specializes in Environmental and Social Impact assessment and is registered with NEMA to determine whether the activities being done there affect the environment.
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Their report proved that whatever they are doing is right and does not affect the environment.
Paddy Bukenya the Bbugu Cell chairperson said that last week they were shocked to receive letters from NEMA directing them to leave their homes and houses because they were going to carry out an operation evicting them on grounds of violating the environment.
NEMA on several occasions has been cautioning the public to resist from violating the environment warning that it was ready to use the long arm of the law to act on them.
A number of them have been evicted and their homes demolished.
