URN.Janet Mulondo, a resident, said that the area is covered with a thick forest comprising of both bamboo and eucalyptus trees, arguing that cutting down some trees to gazette a recognized road will help to curb crime.
Fr. Charles Lwanga, the caretaker priest of St. Matia Mulumba religious tourism site in Mayuge town council has clashed with residents following his attempts to block the construction of a road connecting to the site.
The proposed one-kilometer road connects St. Matia Mulumba religious tourism site to the Musita-Lumino highway and the rest of the community. On Sunday, the town council leadership tied to commission the road works. The construction work involved the expansion of the road to make it motorable leading to the felling down of bamboo and eucalyptus trees, which angered the priest.
He parked his vehicle in the middle of the road to block the road works. The priest’s action didn’t go down well with residents who started pelting him with stones. They later towed the vehicle from the road to allow the work to continue.
Janet Mulondo, a resident, said that the area is covered with a thick forest comprising of both bamboo and eucalyptus trees, arguing that cutting down some trees to gazette a recognized road will help to curb crime. Mulondo notes that during this week alone, a motorcyclist was killed and his body hidden within the forest.
Esteri Namwase, another resident within the area, says that suspected thieves hide in the dark parts of the road, waylay and steal their property.
Hadijah Kantono, the area Defense Secretary says that he joined the protest following the increased rape cases within the area. She explained that most suspects escape through the forested areas, which has since frustrated efforts to attain justice.
Wilson Mulaabi, the Mayuge Town council LC III chairperson says that following endless complaints from the community, they resolved to expand and reconstruct a standard access road within the area as a means of curbing insecurity. However, Lwanga stresses that the contested land belongs to the St. Matia Mulumba religious tourism site and the trees were planted as part of their contribution toward environmental conservation.
He explains that since the area has a church, Catholics within the community had created a footpath through the forest to ease access, adding that due to the increasing urbanization, motorcyclists too began using it to access the highway.
