Railway land clearance in Mityana halts slaughterhouse and displaces traders
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Traders and residents in Bbuye Kikumbi, Mityana Municipality, are counting losses after railway authorities backed by security personnel cleared the railway reserve, closing a slaughterhouse and displacing families.
Slaughterhouse operators and residents in Bbuye Kikumbi, Mityana Municipality, are struggling to rebuild their livelihoods after an eviction exercise on railway land forced meat traders to suspend operations and left several families without accommodation. The operation began at about 9am when officials from the railway authorities, accompanied by security personnel, arrived at the slaughterhouse to remove people occupying the railway reserve.
The affected traders accused local leaders of failing to communicate the relocation exercise, saying they were given insufficient time to find alternative workplaces and housing, and that they had continued paying taxes to the municipality without being told where they were expected to move. The slaughterhouse supplies meat to businesses across Mityana District, and its closure has left operators uncertain where they will resume slaughtering.
"We are not against development or the restoration of railway land, but we are asking the authorities to help us find another place where we can continue working. Our businesses support many families," said Abdul Kabuni, one of the slaughterhouse tenderers, who appealed to the authorities to help secure an alternative location.
Mityana District Chairperson Joseph Luzige said the district had not anticipated the exercise at that particular time but pledged to explore ways of assisting the affected traders. "We understand the challenges these people are facing because many depend on the slaughterhouse for their daily income. Although the exercise was not expected at this particular time, we shall see how best the district can intervene," he said, adding that the district would engage stakeholders on possible arrangements.
SSP Ahmed Kimenya Seguya, who is leading the exercise, said the operation would continue until all illegal occupants had vacated the railway land, warning that nobody would be spared. Residents whose houses were affected said they had not been prepared for relocation and appealed for guidance, while the traders have asked municipal and district authorities to identify alternative sites before the reserve is fully cleared.