At least 150,000 people, residents of Kasese District who had crossed to the Democratic Republic of Congo but were evicted, have started feeling the pinch of expulsion, Daily Monitor has learnt.

They were forced out of DR Congo after the Allied Democratic Forces rebels invaded the country and allegations that Ugandans were plundering its resources in the mid 90s. The Congolese saw this as an infringement on their rights.

The Congolese government lost trust in Ugandans and gradually started chasing away the refugees. Basongora pastoralists who had occupied the Virunga National Park were the first victims.

Later cultivators who were moving from the sub-counties of Bwera, Karambi, Nyakiyumbu, Ihandiro and Kitholhu.

Authorities in DR Congo argues that Ugandans who were cultivating in the Virunga National Park, were contravening the international environmental laws.

Chased out

The cultivators were chased in 2006 and since then they have been starving with no sufficient food and money to manage their homes hence causing a strain on Kasese's resources. The going-ons in the area have left so many in a hapless situation.

Mr Moses Bwambale, a farmer, claims that their land had lost fertility which forced them to move to DR Congo.

"We used to have enough food for consumption and for selling when we were in the Democratic Republic of Congo but we have been stranded since 2006," he said.

The Bwera Sub-county Chairman, Mr Wilson Agaba Sekalombi, in an interview with Daily Monitor, said Congo's action was a big blow to Uganda.

"Uganda farmers were used to supply food in the Lhubiriha Market feeding the Congolese but if Congolese to date close their border for a single day hundreds of Ugandans would die," Mr Sekalombi said.

Alternative measures

In order to sustain themselves with food due to shortage of land for cultivation, people cross the border and go do casual work and in exchange get paid in form of food.

Mr Sekalombi disclosed that they appealed for a special consideration to the government that when National Agricultural Advisory Services programme funds are sent to the borderline districts, they should be considered to address the challenges.

According to the survey done by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, it indicates that rural poverty was highest in Kisoro and lowest in Mbarara District.

In 1999 there was considerable variation in poverty incidence in this region.

Masindi, Bundibugyo and Kasese had greater than 50 per cent poverty incidence, whereas relatively wealthy districts like Mbarara and Bushenyi had poverty levels below 20 per cent.

Kasese District was selected to pilot the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals which are to be achieved by 2015 but it has failed in that regard.

Kasese is one of the leading districts with the high population growth. It is estimated the district has about 646,677 people.