Posted on March, 28, 2017 at 11:30 am
Seated outside his house in Budaka town council, Aggrey Nagwere massages a big scar on his upper left arm. The scar that left him partially paralysed eight years ago was as a result of the clashes between the Bagwere and Bagisu tribesmen over Namatala wetland. The wetland is at the centre of the dispute between Bagisu and Bagwere tribes on the Mbale-Budaka district border. “ I was tending to my rice garden when assiliants from Bugisu attacked my machetes,” Nagwere said
He says he is unable to dig because the injury resulted in a fracture in his hand. Currently, Nagwere survives on handouts from well wishers. However, he hopes to one day return to his rice garden when the hand heals. The swamp is my life and source of income. During a good season, I would harvest about five 100Kg sacks of rice about Shs1.5M in gross income,” Nagwere discloses.
Many farmers who sustained injuries in the conflict harbor Nagwere’s ambitions to returning to their gardens and sources say some have gone back. Records from the local police post indicate that over 982 people have sustained injuries in clashes over the Namatala wetland since 2008. The quest for land to grow more paddy rice in eastern Uganda has not but also wetland degradation.
Source: New Vision | Tuesday March 28, 2017 | Page 31