They made the appeal following the government’s statement on a review of GN No. 28 involving 31 villages in Mbarali District.
They said that for many years they have been growing rice in the basin, hence the move to relocate them will affect their livelihoods, taking into account that rice farming is their mainstay and if they were evicted they would have nowhere to go.
One of the farmers, Upendo Kyambiki said reports that farmers in the area were few it is misleading the President to take decisions that were generally not beneficial to the residents of the area.
“We have been born in Mbarali, all our lives are here even the graves of our brothers are here now where will we go if we are expelled here, we ask President Samia to hear our cries” said Upendo.
Irene Ngailo, on the other hand, called on the government to look at the best way for farmers to be safe while continuing with the farming.
Athanas Kikwembe, one of the leaders of the Mbarali Rice Farmers' Union, said they had sent a draft of the 3.1bn/- loan demand through the area so the plan to evict them from the area is very detrimental.
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