Ntungamo Deputy RDC Issues 21-Day Ultimatum to Swamp Encroachers

By Octavius Tunanukye

The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (D/RDC) of Ntungamo District, Rosemary Atuhaire, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to senior police officer Emmanuel Ayebare Benon to vacate a swamp area he had drained for a government-funded sprinkler irrigation project in Kikunyu Cell, Itojo Parish, Itojo Sub-county, Ntungamo District.

Speaking Tuesday, 24th June 2025, during the commissioning of several government-aided projects across the district, Atuhaire addressed a gathering of councillors, environmentalists, senior agricultural officers, and journalists. She stressed the importance of protecting wetlands, echoing President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to safeguard swamps from being exploited for personal initiatives.

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According to Daniel Bwiino, a senior manager with the Micro-scale Irrigation Programme, the government co-funded initiative, which began in 2020, had supported at least 202 farmers. Under the scheme, the government caters for 75% of each irrigation project’s cost, with beneficiaries contributing the remaining 25%.

“Emmanuel Ayebare, who received UGX 18 million, has made progress with his project, which is powered by a solar system and valued at UGX 28 million,” Mr. Bwiino added.

While Ayebare pledged to comply with the directive, the team of leaders and experts also visited Munanura Francis Banyenzaki, a coffee farmer in Kyembaale Village, Itojo Sub-county. The Deputy RDC commended Banyenzaki for embracing agriculture in line with President Museveni’s vision and pledged continued government support for such innovations.

Other beneficiaries visited and commissioned during the district’s assessment included Frank Tumusiime Bikwasizehi, a retired clerical officer from Nyakibigyi Cell, Kahunga Ward, Western Division, Ntungamo Municipality, who invested in banana farming; and John Nuwagira from Akatojo Ward, Rubaare Town Council, who is engaged in banana growing, piggery, and a bee-keeping project that is still under construction.

However, some beneficiaries were not commissioned due to incomplete work and limited time.

The sprinkler irrigation project beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the government’s commitment to modernising agriculture and promoting value addition to locally produced goods. They called upon farmers across the region to embrace government programmes aimed at eradicating poverty.