By Ronald Kabanza
The Banyabutumbi Indigenous Clan of people staying in Bwambara sub-county Rukungiri district want the government of Uganda to equally consider them like other Ugandans in the development process of the country.
The Banyabutumbi say they are faced with numerous challenges like accessing loans from financial institutions due unclear boundaries of their land and stigmatization from the public citing cases of watch craft leveled against them yet other communities can ably go for loans and have benefited a lot from the NRM government.
They also say they have benefited less in the sharing of the national cake.
Raphael Mandu, the Banyabutumbi clan head says that 10 years ago they used do fishing on lake Edward and hunting in the queen Elizabeth national game park as their main source of income but of recent they were denied access to any of the two and they are currently surviving on God’s mercy.
Mandu now wants the government to equally consider them and help them before the situation they are living in worsens.
Scovia Kitutu, a mother of six says their life depended on fishing as their source of income and fish as their food however when the government restricted them from accessing the lake, they were left with no option of survival.
Kedress Mugisha says before the coming of Uganda marine defense forces (UMDF) and Uganda wildlife rangers on L. Edward and Queen Elizabeth national game park respectively their life was enjoyable and they used to visit the lake and the park on a daily basis to do some fishing and collection of wild foods but their coming denied them access and they are living in fears of their lives.
Of recent the Rukungiri resident district commissioner Dan Kaguta together with the district leadership held a meeting between the Banyabutumbi and the marine forces to seek permission from the forces to allow them return and do some fishing on the lake but the Banyabutumbi were only given two months with restrictions and apparently no Banyabutumbi can access the lake or the national park according to Mandu.
Fred Turyamuhwezi, the Rujumbura county Member of Parliament while campaigning last week promised to present their challenges to the speaker of the parliament and to engage Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) officials on the issue.
Muhammood Keija Working with Equal opportunities Commission said the banyabutumbi grievances will be forwarded to the commissioner in the ministry of gender for action.
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