By Morish Dramadri

Arua

Residents of Ogoko Sub County in Madi Okollo district are demanding for compensation for their land following the extension of the Ajai game reserve by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) during a thanksgiving ceremony of the Madi Okollo district Woman Member of Parliament

The residents claim that they were forcefully evicted from their land after offering land freely to establish the game reserve. The area about 4 square kilometers was declared for control by the government in 1937.

Sunday Angudubo, the local council three chairman of Ogoko Sub County in Madi Okollo district reveals that many of the people are still living in the demarcated area as they don’t have anywhere to go. “our people of Ogoko had offered land to UWA, the Uganda Wildlife Authority free of charge but now there was some extension done and up to now there are still other people living inside the demarcated areas because they do not have anywhere to go, we want our people to use the other land which they have not given which was forcefully demarcated”, Angudubo said.

Currently, governments through Uganda Wildlife Authority is in the process of restoring the White Rhinos and other wildlife species in Ajai game reserve but this attracted censure from the residents and some leaders over the land.

Swaibu Toko the Madi Okollo district resident commissioner appeals to the political leaders in the area to desist from taking about the land issue but sensitize the community to accept this project. “Government is on high gear to restore the white rhinos, the arrangement of fencing has gone very high. I want to appeal to all the leaders if you don’t have enough knowledge about the land don’t talk about it. I hear people talking about forcefully being curved, by the time Parliament gazetted the place as game reserve I believe all the necessary steps were taken. So I want to appeal to our leaders to desist from talking about that but rather sensitize the people to accept this project”, Toko warned.


Madi Okollo RDC Swaib Toko at the function

But Hon. Aniku Joan Okia, the woman Member of Parliament for Madi Okollo district says they have encouraged and welcome the restoration of the White Rhinos as dialogues continue to solve the other problems. “Ajai game reserve is a regional home for the white rhinos, so we have encouraged and welcomed it, they have been some challenges with how the land was taken from the people, they were some issues with the compensation but dialogues can continue. We believe by next year, we shall be able to receive the White Rhinos approximately 50 in number”, Hon. Joan strongly believes.

Efforts to enlarge the boundaries of the Ajai game reserve by Uganda Wildlife Authority began in 2002 with a view of later re-introducing the White Rhino's into the reserve following years of the surviving Rhinos being kept at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District.

COVER PHOTO: Hon. Joanne Aniku Okia addressing residents during the thanksgiving ceremony By Morish Dramadri