Kasese drainage channel evictions spark mixed reactions
Kasese Municipality is facing growing opposition from residents following government plans to evict hundreds of people who have settled along the town's drainage channels.
This follows the municipality's response to recent flooding that caused significant damage to property and claimed three lives.
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Earlier this month, heavy rains triggered floods that swept through the municipality, destroying homes and infrastructure.
In the aftermath, the Kasese leadership announced a plan to improve the drainage system by clearing encroachments along the drainage channels.
This plan, however, includes the demolition of houses built within these channels, which would lead to the eviction of hundreds of residents.
Kasese Municipal Mayor, Chance Kahindo, emphasized the need for the evictions, arguing that homes constructed in these drainage channels are a significant cause of the poor drainage and resultant flooding.
“This is a difficult decision, but the safety of all residents depends on ensuring proper drainage systems. People must move out of the gazetted areas short of which might call for use of minimum force," Kahindo said.
The eviction plans have drawn criticism from residents, many of whom blame the municipality’s planning office for negligence.
They argue that the planning office has failed to prevent the illegal construction of homes within the drainage zones, leading to the current crisis. Kisanga resident, Kiryango Kule Johnson, expressed his frustrations:
“The municipality's planning office should have done more to stop people from constructing in these areas. How were these permanent structures allowed in the first place?”
Isaiah Thembo, the chairperson of Kitoro cell, echoed these sentiments, stating that local leadership should be held accountable for failing to enforce regulations early enough to prevent encroachment.
In response to these criticisms, Wilfred Baluku, the municipality’s senior physical planner, acknowledged the issue but noted that many of the constructions were illegal, as they were done without approved building plans.
“Most of the people who built in these drainage channels do not have official building plans, which makes it difficult for the municipality to regulate such developments,” Baluku said.
Despite the explanations, tension remains high among affected residents, many of whom fear losing their homes.
