Africa-Press – Uganda. Close to 100 Karimojong who eke a living by doing odd jobs in Soroti City have built a camp following failure to afford rent.
The makeshift settlement made up of polythene bags and without sanitary facilities is situated in Pamba Ward, Western Division in Soroti City.
Ms Fiona Achayo, 35, from Nabilatuk District, who stays in the camp, told this newspaper on Friday that casual work has become scarce and they can’t afford the modest accommodation of about Shs50,000 in the city.
She added that when they came across the empty space in Pamba Ward, they decided to set up the camp.
“So when we came across this empty space last year, we decided to put up those structures made of polythene bags as our houses to live in,” she said.
Ms Achayo said she escaped from Nabilatuk because of the persistent food crisis there, with hope of making it in Soroti but it is turning out to be tricky.
She added that their current worry is the threat of eviction after the people living in the affluent neighbourhood reported to the RDC’s office that the makeshift shelter poses a health and security threat.
“But we don’t eat in their homes, how I wish they mind their business and let us eke out the dirty living we are in,” she said.
Mr Francis Nachora from Kotido District, who also doubles as the chairperson for the camp, said most casual labourers have joined them and are erecting more makeshift structures.
He said he used to rent a house of Shs20,000, but since the Covid-induced lockdown two years ago, life became difficult that he couldn’t find work to do.
Mr Nachora said when he was thrown out of the rented house, he came across the empty space in Pamba Ward where he set up a makeshift structure.
“Little did I know that there were other people from Karamoja facing similar predicament and they slowly started joining me,” he explained.
Ms Esther Locher from Kangole in Napak District said she joined the settlement last year in December.
“We do all kinds of work; being a suburb with multiple pork joints, our husbands are the slaughter boys, and we have the opportunity to get intestines, we also get residue from local brew (Ajon), which we turn into bread,” Ms Locher said.
Mr Robert Erongu, a resident in Pamba, said they don’t have a problem with the people who settled in that camp, but their fear is the threat of disease outbreak due to poor sanitation.
He said the people within the camp defecate in polythene bags and appealed to the city authorities to intervene.
Ms Josephine Nkibs Ibaseret, the RDC for Soroti West Division who visited the settlement last Thursday, said they are trying to find out who owns the piece of land where the people have established a settlement.
She said after she inspected the entire place, she found out that it lacks sanitary facilities, and this poses a health threat.
Ms Ibaseret said she has been able to establish the particulars of all people who are settled in this camp located in Pamba.
Trend
After the persons displaced by rebel activities in Teso returned to their villages, persons who were eager to make ends meet in Soroti Town stayed in wattle structures left behind by the IDPs camp. However, those wattle structures are now limited, which has raised rent costs in the city.
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