How Imelda received compensation for her land
When we sit down to speak with Imelda, a 55-year-old resident of Mubende, she radiates grace in her bright yellow Gomesi. Despite her humble appearance, which suggests a life of peace, her story reflects a remarkable resilience against adversity.
Twenty-four years ago, the government granted land where Imelda and others were staying, to an investor for coffee cultivation for export. This marked the beginning of Imelda's suffering.
“One day, we saw two trucks filled with soldiers arriving at our homes. The soldiers ordered us to pack our belongings and leave,” explains Imelda.
However, although some residents fled out of fear, Imelda and many others refused to leave.
“We said this land is ours, why do you want us to leave it,” she says.
The soldiers reacted to their defiance with brutal force, causing many to suffer in agony and despair.
“The soldiers started firing bullets. They threw out our property. In fact, that day, we slept at the market,” explains Imelda.
The sudden eviction caused immense suffering for Imelda and her community. They lost the land they depended on to grow food, which was their primary source of sustenance. This made it difficult for Imelda to care for herself and her children.
“Sometimes the children would cry due to hunger and as a parent you would also cry. We were told that those who could not work on the farm should not access food. One time I went to look for food and when I returned, the rain had destroyed my shelter causing the iron sheets to cut my child,” recalls Imelda.
With the assistance ofActionAid International Uganda and its partners, Imelda and her community received legal support to pursue justice in court. Subsequently, Imelda decided to settle the matter out of court and accepted financial compensation for her land.
"It’s now 24 years and the first batch of people have got compensation for their land. The communities sued the government of Uganda and the Attorney General due to the human rights violations and they wanted remedy in terms of compensation. The case has been ongoing. ActionAid has been working with different partners like NETPIL to ensure that the complainants get justices. The judge decided the case be settled out of court. This year, the first batch of people, 55 in number, got compensation. Imelda is one of them," says Esther Kisembo, the Fair Green and Global Coordinator at ActionAid International Uganda.
Today, Imelda has successfully resettled, using the compensation funds to build a decent home for herself and her family, and she is now able to provide for her son’s education.
Imelda is deeply grateful to ActionAid International Uganda for the help in getting her compensation. She says, "If ActionAid had not helped us, I think some of us would have committed suicide."
Seeing her proudly stand in front of her nearly complete house and sharing smiles of hope with her grand child is refreshing.
