MAKINDYE -All is not well for the 21 persons who were arrested for illegally erecting tents in Lubigi wetland after the court failing to entertain their bail application.
The group which consist of women and men some of whom being of advanced age , appeared before Makindye based Standards and Utilities Court presided over by Grade one Magistrate Siena Owomugisha with hopes that they were walking back home having mobilized at least three sureties each.
However this was not possible after the trial Magistrate asked their lawyer to file the bail application in phase of 5 instead of filing the application of over 20 people at once.
Defence lawyers from Foundation for Human Rights commission led by Yasin Ssentubwe insisted to have the bail application made at once which court rejected.
These appeared demoralized as the trial Magistrate adjourned the hearing of their case to 2nd December 2024.
These are 29 in total , but some of them (breast feeding mothers) were granted bail during plea taking.
These are part of the group of people which was evicted from Lubigi wetland this year, are charged with offences like of erecting , constructing , placing, altering, extending, removing or demolishing any structure fixed in wetland contrary to section 55(1)(b) of the NEMA Act cap 181, failure to comply with orders, Notices and environment easements contrary to the NEMA Act.
Prosecution contends that the accused persons with others still at large from the month of July 2024 at Nansana West zone A, Nabweru Parish, Nansana Municipality , Wakiso District erected temporary structures using tents and tapaulin into a restored Lubigi wetland section without written approval from relevant lead agency in given in consultation with the Authority.
In June 2024, NEMA working with Police and Army forcefully evicted over 214 households from Lubigi wetland along Northern by pass with a view of restoring it to its natural bio diversity.
Many were left homeless , some decided to start life in new places well as others who had lost host hope insisted of putting up temporary structures in their former places of residence there by resulting into their arrest in October 2024.
