Parliament has resolved to set up a select committee to investigate the continued land conflict in Apaa Parish, Amuru district.

This is proceeded statement made by the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Mario Obiga Kania asserting that there are no unknown militias operating in the area whose presence has been brought to the attention of the security forces.

“The recent acts of evictions and fights between the communities forced some members of the Acholi community to relocate to makeshift huts within the Zoka ‘C’ area where the security forces have provided them with security,” said Obiga Kania.

He added that in July 2018, President Yoweri Museveni appointed an inter-ministerial committee led by the Prime Minister to take comprehensive efforts to resolve the conflicts and other related issues.

“The committee has made its recommendations to the President and he will make a decision,” said Obiga Kania.

The Minister of State for Veteran Affairs, Bright Rwamirama re-assured the MPs that the situation in Apaa is calm.

“I was there on 31 January and 01 February2019 and I addressed the people. The people of Amuru demanded for more security and we urged the people on either side to stay calm until government finds a solution,” said Rwamirama.

A section of MPs from Acholi however, disagreed with the statements from the Ministers, saying that they do not reflect what is happening in Apaa.

Nwoya district MP, Lilly Adong said that Acholi people are still in camps and suffering. “I want to assure the people that it is not the people of Acholi who are in Zoka forest, it is the security forces who are occupying the forest,” She added.

Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol said it is not true that Apaa is in Zoka forest as mentioned in the Minister’s statement.

“He (Obiga Kania) also said that demarcation was done in Apaa for a boundary between Adjumani and Amuru between 07 and 11 September 2018. His statement is contradicting that of the state Minister of Lands who said that the demarcation of Apaa was done from 13 to 18 September 2015,” said Akol.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga said that the minister’s statement was not satisfactory. She said there are still areas which need to be investigated.

“We have debated this issue for a long time. Therefore, in this circumstance, we shall set up a select committee to establish the truth,” said Kadaga.

In 2015, Government demarcated the boundary between Amuru and Adjumani amidst protests from the people of Amuru. The leaders of Amuru said that the process only involved people from Adjumani, and that the boundary was extended inside Amuru. Since then, the area has witnessed conflicts leading led to deaths, destruction of properties as well as displacement of people.

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The Atomic Energy Council of Uganda has begun a process of inspecting broadcast apparatus and telecommunications base stations, high voltage transmission lines and other equipment to establish whether they comply with radiation standards.

Natharius Nimbashabira, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the council, said they have already procured machines to detect the levels of radiation in the facilities.

Inspections will be carried out at premises to check that equipment is of sound construction and established limits are not exceeded.

Nimbashabira said other facilities that will also be inspected include ultrasound scanners, radio detection and radar machines, welding torches, microwaves and TV remote controls.

The tests are meant to establish the level of non-ionising radiation emitted by the machines.

Non-ionizing radiation is relatively low-energy radiation that doesn’t have enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules.

It’s located at the low end of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Non-ionizing radiation sources include power lines, microwaves, radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light and lasers.

Although considered less dangerous than ionizing radiation, overexposure to non-ionizing radiation can cause health issues.

Joshua Birungi, a radiation protection officer at the Atomic Energy Council, said though Non-Ionizing Radiation is a crucial part of human life, beyond-safe operating limits it is dangerous.

He said the non-ionizing radiations are capable of causing considerable health risks to workers, public, the environment at high intensities and long term exposures.

“There needs to be checks to ensure we are not living within fields that are beyond limit and ensure that we create a safe environment for all of us,” he said.

Nimbashabira said there has been a lot of public outcry over construction base stations within populated areas and as a body charged with the responsibility of ensuring safety from radiation sources, they will carry out the inspections to ascertain the truth.

“We are first going to carry out inspections and compare it with internationally accepted limits and standards. Then from there we shall move to the regulation if we find they are not meeting the standards. We have already procured them equipment which will soon arrive in the country. Right now we shall focus on telecom masts, satellite stations, magnetic imaging equipment used in health facilities,” he said.

Consultations are already going on between the council and other regulatory agencies on the issues of regulation. Nimbashabira said the inspection report will guide them on how to draft a new regulation for control such emissions.

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