Hoima evictees petition Parliament over land seizures in Uganda's oil region

Residents of Kapapi and Kigolobya sub-counties in Hoima District have petitioned Parliament to intervene in long-running land disputes in Uganda's oil-rich Albertine Graben, accusing security personnel and other actors of human rights violations including violent evictions, sexual violence and destruction of property.

The residents want Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth to intervene and help secure justice for hundreds of people who say they were forcibly evicted from land they occupied as bona fide occupants. They made the appeal at a press conference in Kampala alongside lawyers from the Liberty Probono Initiative.

According to the residents, more than 1,000 people from Runga Waaki North, Waaki South, Kiryatete, Kapapi North, Kapapi East and Kapapi Central villages were violently evicted from their land on February 10 and 25, 2023. They say their homes were destroyed while livestock and household property were looted during the operations.

One woman, whose identity was withheld to protect her privacy, alleged that she was gang-raped in front of her children during the eviction. Other affected women said their husbands remain in prison, leaving families struggling to survive.

The residents say that although they took the matter to court, they have yet to obtain meaningful relief, and they are now asking Parliament to ensure their grievances are addressed and those responsible for the alleged abuses held accountable.

The petition highlights competing claims over land in Uganda's oil-producing region, where petroleum discoveries have brought increased economic activity and rival interests in land. The residents argue that oil development should bring growth and opportunities to host communities rather than displacement and loss of livelihoods.