“I feel empowered after learning about my rights as an indigenous woman. I feel hope for me and my community, that we will not lose our homes. I am encouraged with the strong support of lawyers and civil society organizations.”
These were the words of Crispin Babirye, an indigenous woman whose family and community face an impending eviction from their traditional lands to give way to the Uganda government’s plans to take their land where their natural hot spring is located, for ecotourism. Crispin was one of the participants in a series of activities in 2021 on awareness raising, capacity building, community strengthening and community legal consultations conducted by the Foundation for Community Development and Empowerment (FOCODE), with partial support from the Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI).
Crispin and her community are living the essence of women empowerment for environmental protection and sustainable future, which is in line with this year’s United Nations theme for the International Women’s Day, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, and this year’s theme of the Commission on the Status of Women 66th session - “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”.
Background
The Kitagata Hotsprings is located in the sub-country of Kitagata, Sheema district, Ankole in the western region of Uganda. The hot spring has always been an integral part of the lives of the communities surrounding it, including the indigenous Batwa and the Basongoro people. To these communities, the hot spring is a gift from God to humanity that should be enjoyed by everyone, protected and preserved. It is visited daily by hundreds of locals who believe that the water has healing effects for a myriad of ailments including skin diseases and joint pains. Seventy five percent (75%) of those who use the hot spring are women. With tourists joining the daily crowd at the hot spring, locals have put up businesses around it, 95% of these are managed by women.
In 2019, information was published that the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Energy and Tourism is negotiating a deal with an investor company from Hungary, to develop seven hot springs located in indigenous Batwa and Basongoro communities, including the Kitagata Hot spring. The perceived development includes the construction of swimming pools, spas, saunas, modern accommodation, refreshment areas, restaurants, and other infrastructure for leisure activities. On March 19, 2021, the Resident District commissioner for Sheema District met with residents and notified them of the planned development. During the meeting, residents were told that for the development to take place, users of the hot springs and residents around it will have to vacate to facilitate its development.
Violating human rights and destroying the environment
The development plan was done without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous Batwa and Basongoro, and without consultation with the other affected residents. It will result to the displacement of 2500 people from their homes, and from their livelihood, and the restriction of their access to the hot spring. The development plan does not also have any clear and acceptable measures for relocation and compensation. The women who comprise 75% of the beneficiaries of the hot spring and 95% owners of small business enterprises around it, are the most adversely impacted.
The building of infrastructure and the waste from all the tourism activities that are planned will likewise pollute the water and the environment. As it is now, the indigenous Batwa and Basongoro, and the other residents in the area, are concerned with the impacts of climate change. Of late, they noticed that the water in the river Ngaromwenda that supplies water to the springs becomes tepid when it rains, and abnormally rise in volume. The construction of the Ishaka-Kitagata-Kagamba road also interfered with the natural flow of the hot spring’s water systems when the water system in Keitajonjo wetland was diverted during the construction. With the tourism development plans, it is feared that pollution will increase, the biodiversity will be compromised and the impact of climate change will be more emphasized.
Despite these concerns, the government of Uganda is bent on pursuing the plan despite its commitments to protect human rights and the environment, especially under international law. Uganda acceded to the fundamental human rights treaties including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, among others. Included in these treaties, is the right of peoples to self-determination, which, if applied to the case of the communities around the Kitagata hot spring, would include their right make the decision on any form of development or program affecting the hot spring.
Uganda has not adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) or ratified the ILO Convention 169 that guarantees the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. Consequently, it continues its non-recognition of the Indigenous Peoples in the country. Even its national laws are weak or lacking in relation to protection of Indigenous Peoples rights. Nonetheless, its 1995 Constitution, Article 32, mandates the government to take affirmative measures in favor of historically disadvantaged and discriminated groups, which would include the different indigenous groups in the country. Additionally, the Land Law of 1998 and the National Environmental Statute of 1995 protect customary interests in land. This should likewise cover the traditional ownership of Indigenous Peoples to their traditional territories.
Moreover, Uganda, is State party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ rights, upon which the Working Group on Indigenous Populations and Minorities in Africa derives its authority. Under this Charter (and under international law), Uganda has the obligation to protect and promote the rights of all its people including Indigenous Peoples. The rights of Indigenous Peoples are elaborated in the UNDRIP and even without Uganda adopting the UNDRIP, it has the duty to protect Indigenous Peoples rights as enunciated in the declaration.
Strengthening women and the communities
There is a widespread opposition against the planned development, by the people affected by the planned development. Yet without any organization and unity to solidify their voices and provide guidance to their positions, they are at the mercy of the powerful forces of the government that will not hesitate to use force and violence to force the eviction of the communities. In 2021, FOCODE, partly supported by IPRI, launched a series of actions to raise the awareness of women about their rights, and build their capacities to address environmental injustices, assert their fundamental rights and negotiate with government, and organize to strengthen the community position. The support also included the services of women lawyers who provided legal advice and support.
Following a two-day training, the participating women from Kitagata were able to form a protection committee comprised of 15 women members. This committee will work towards the protection and advancement of women’s rights in relation to the development of the hot spring, assert women’s participation in negotiations and decision making, and take actions to prevent or redress any human rights violations. This protection committee will work closely with women lawyers, especially in confronting the impending forced evictions of residents in Kitagata. One of the participants, Dorothy Nakato, expressed that “We now feel more confident and knowledgeable to engage with government agencies, and speak about our rights.”
Aside from raising their awareness about their fundamental rights, land rights, Indigenous Peoples rights, and women’s rights, the women participants in the activities organized by FOCODE were also able to:
- Develop an action plan for the promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of the Indigenous Peoples and other residents affected. The plan includes conducting activities like meetings, roundtables with different stakeholders, trainings and information campaigns to ensure the rights of indigenous women are protected and promoted.
- Enhance the networking and communication between the indigenous Communities, District leaders and leaders from the ministries of energy and tourism as well as the Hungarian firm that will undertake development of Kitagata Hot spring.
- Increase awareness of rights of indigenous women through the media campaign. FOCODE has incorporated rights of indigenous women in its media campaigns including radio programs and spot messages. As a result, more indigenous women are becoming aware of their rights.
More importantly, it resulted to the establishment of the Indigenous Women Network (IWONET), a network comprised of indigenous Women, women human rights defenders, women activists and leaders at all levels that will work for the promotion and protection of women’s rights including the rights of indigenous women. IWONET will support indigenous women in Uganda to raise stronger voices in claiming for the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The indigenous women of Uganda include ancient communities of hunters and gatherers, such as Benet and Batwa, also known as Twa. They also include minority groups like the Ik, the Karamojong and the Basongora. The Benets, who number just over 8,500, live in the north eastern part of Uganda. The Batwa, who number about 6,700, live mainly in the southwest region in Districts of Bundibugyo, Kisoro, Kanungu, Kabale and Rubanda. They were dispossessed of their ancestral land when the Bwindi and Mgahinga forests were declared national parks in 1991. The Ik number is approximately 13,939 and lives on the edge of the Karamoja / Turkana region along the border between Uganda and Kenya. The Karamojong live in the northeast and total about 988,429. The Basongora, who number 15,897, are a livestock community that lives in the lowlands adjacent to Rwenzori Mountain in western Uganda. The network that is now fully operational is now being coordinated by a National Coordinator and supported by other three staff members who are currently working as volunteers.
Continuing Challenges and Needs
While the women in Kitagata are gaining strength and unity, they and their communities continue to face an impending eviction from their homes and lands since the government along with the support from Hungary. The COVID19 pandemic is making their situations worse, as they also face the health and economic impacts of the pandemic and the government restrictions that compromise their livelihood and movement. Access to health services and medical supplies is a major and immediate concern, and this situation is impending their efforts to organize and deal with another big issue – the development of the Kitagata hot spring. Aside from these, the community lack resources for advocacy and campaign, further continuing capacity building and awareness raising, and legal support. The women also feel that that a stronger voice from the international community is needed to call on the government of Uganda to ensure the full protection of Indigenous Peoples, including women’s rights, in relation to development plan of the Kitagata hot springs.
Even as they face diverse challenges, the women have committed to implement the action plan that they developed, that includes:
- Strengthening the capacity of the committees that were established through trainings in security, resource mobilization and further trainings in women’s rights.
- Strengthening Indigenous Women Network (IWONET) to realize its vision of a society with empowered Indigenous Women, having equal opportunities as a strategy for attaining sustainable development.
- Strengthening the Capacity of Coalition for advancement of Women’s Rights (CAWORI). Members of the coalition include individual women from the community of Kitagata, women members of protection committees, women lawyers, women leaders and representatives from Civil Society, private sector and government. Once strengthened, the coalition will work for the promotion and protection of women’s rights.
- Media campaigns, press conferences among other activities to complement our advocacy efforts.
“We continue to strengthen our ranks on the ground, but we remain vulnerable with the threat from an organized, well-funded government and foreign corporation. We need more international support to drumbeat our calls and provide assistance for us to confront the countless challenges we face on the ground”, Florence Tumusiime.
As the world celebrate women, we commend the courage of the women of Kitagata. Their crusade towards full respect of their rights, protection of their natural resources, and protection of their community from developments that destroy their lives, culture and environment, are the small efforts that contribute to the wider actions towards mitigating risks, if not preventing climate change and ensuring a sustainable future.
P.s. Further information about the situation of indigenous women and the communities affected by the Kitagata Hot Spring development, and possible support to the women of Kitagata maybe coursed through:
1. FOCODE (Email:
2. IWONET (Email:
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