More than 300 families in Kiteredde village in Busenya parish in Kalonga sub-county in Mubende district have raised fears of eviction from their homes by Dr. Kaburankuba Rwacumika. They claim that Dr. Rwacumika has started fencing off their land in preparation to evict them.
Speaking in a meeting chaired by Mubende district LC V chairperson Michael Ntambi and Buwekula Member of Parliament Museveni Ndooli at Kiteredde village on Wednesday, residents accused Dr. Rwacumika of conniving with the police to force them to sell their land with threats of evicting those who refuse to comply.
Jafesi Ndyabakire, a resident of Kiteredde village says that he bought a piece of land beside his farm but Dr. Rwacumika came and took the land claiming that it belongs to him.
Florence Namusisi says that Dr. Rwacumika told them that they trespassed on his land despite the fact that he lacks proof to back his claims.
Emmanuel Kabanda, another resident accused Dr. Rwacumika of using security forces to compel them to sell off their land.
Mubende District LC V Chairperson Michael Ntambi has asked residents to apply for titles of their land for their safety.
The Buwekula area Member of Parliament Museveni Ndooli has asked residents not to fear but prepare to fight for their land.
In his defence, Dr. Rwacumika says that some residents together with the village chairman approached him requesting him to help open his boundaries claiming that they had entered his land. He says that they all gathered and agreed on the boundaries but they have now turned against him.
Dr. Rwacumika also denied claims that he is forcing residents to sell off their land, saying many of them approach him offering to sell their land.
As the demand for land for land based investments soars, the middleman’s role in the unlawful land transactions between investors and government agencies remains crucial in the broader scheme. The middleman business has become a lucrative venture in Uganda; more people are being recruited into it. For a public servant with access to vital information from land registries, the business is a goldmine. Middlemen are grabbing land for investors.
From the stage of land grabbing to investing, middlemen resort to the use of violence orchestrated by both police and other security agencies; at this point, high levels of impunity are exhibited, land rights defenders and land owners who demand for justice are then arrested for non-existent offences.
Experito kimazi – Uganda records show that a reasonable percentage of grabbed land from poor communities in the country have for instance remained undeveloped.
In Mubende District, Central Uganda, residents accuse Mrs. Grace Majoro Kabayo a Senior Presidential Advisor for using her position to fraudulently acquire their land using police and officials from the Ministry of Lands. Ironically, Kabayo advises the President of Uganda on Pan-Africanism, and doubles as the Executive Secretary of the Pan African Women Organization’s PAWO Eastern Africa chapter, where she oversees the organization’s day-to-day activities.
Mubende District according to Witness Radio – Uganda figures, is ranked as one of the districts with the highest incidents of forced and illegal evictions and has registered with more than five cases since the year 2021 started.
Mrs. Kabayo with her political influence is allegedly using survey and boundary opening tactics to grab 625 Ha of land for thousands of inhabitants, which she has never lived on or owned.
According to locals, this is not the first time for the presidential advisor to engage into land grabbing, in 2017 while accompanied by the police in Mubende, she forcefully surveyed and grabbed 20 square miles and now wants to expand.
It is anticipated if Kabayo succeeds with the land grab, more than 5000 people on five villages comprising Kattambogo A, Kattambogo B, Rwobushumi, Rwonkubi and Nyaruteete, in Kigando-Buwekula Sub County in Mubende district, will lose their livelihood.
A letter dated 29th March, 2021, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs. Docus Okalanyi which Witness Radio – Uganda obtained a copy, okayed the move by the president’s advisor to open boundaries on land located at block 379 and all adjacent blocks which include: 378, 380 and 381 a process which the residents opposed.
Without any prior notice to the residents, Kabayo accompanied by the officers from Ministry of Lands, State House officials, and security personnel for the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Police had planned to conduct a rally at Nyarutete, one of the 5 villages, but was blocked by the angry residents.
Mr. Ruzhoga Laurent, 53, a resident of the village from birth, said, they have been facing threats of forced evictions for the last three years by Kaboyo. He asserted that his family would not leave the land for an imposter. Ruzhoga added that he would only leave as a corpse.
Jordan Byakatonda, an area land committee, chairperson said, the land targeted is public land with people on living on it.
He said, any person who wishes to get a leasehold on public land must first show his or her interest in the land before picking application Form 8 from the District Land Office or Area Land Committee, fill it, and attach 4 passport photos. He stated that the area land committee’s mandate involves receiving applications and issuing notices for public hearings concerning land ownership using Form 10, Byakatonda observed that Kaboyo had not engaged the committee during the process.
Information Sources from Mubende district preferring anonymity for security reasons accused some government officials of manipulating the stated legal procedures and guidelines. “Everything is coming from the center (ministry) instead of starting from an area where the land is located”, said the source.
“The first time we saw her, she was grabbing land and now she has come back to take ours. When she was asked by the land probe committee headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire why she had surveyed the land forcibly, she replied that she never surveyed any land and did not know those people,” another villager who preferred anonymity said.
According to guidelines of Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Planning Act, 2010 and Land Act, Cap 227, state that;
Any applicant for a leasehold on the public land must have in his/her possession fully completed form 4,10,19 23, a set of 3 authentic deed plans, 3 passport photographs, receipts of payment and a forwarding letter requesting for a freehold title signed by the District Land officer of the respective district where the land is located.
Step 2
The applicant presents the full set of original documents in duplicate and a photocopy of the same to the department of land administration for checking.
The photocopy is stamped received and returned to the applicant. The applicant checks with the department of land administration after 10 working days to confirm their approval or rejection.
Step 3
Once approved the documents are forwarded to the department of the land registration for issuance of a freehold land title. The applicant checks after 20 working days.
Step 4
The applicant presents the photocopy given to him/her by the department of land administration stamped, received and identification documents on collecting the freehold Title. The applicant signs for the title and the photocopy is stamped returned on completion.
Documents required include; Deed plans, set of passport photographs, general receipts of payment and a requesting letter. Fees paid at the ministry. Registration fees-10,000#, Assurance of the title- 20,000#, issuance of the title-20,000#.
The preliminary steps that involve the Area Land Committee were not complied with by Mrs. Grace Majoro Kabayo as she acquired land that accommodates thousands of people.
A court in Mityana district has jailed three community land defenders including local council chairperson on charges of attempted murder however, their imprisonment is linked to their involvement in defending bonafide occupants from being illegally and forcefully evicted. The land in contention is located at Ttamu village in Mityana town council.
Those charged and sent to Mityana prison include, Ssekandi Charles, Local council (I) one chairperson Ttamu village, Mawejje Jospeh and Nsubuga Yakobo.
The trio before their arrest, together with affected communities had blocked a tractor from grading down houses and other properties without compensation by a group of men led by Kigozi Sanyu.
It’s alleged that Kigozi acquired the land in 2018 and does not want to compensate lawful occupants instead, he wants to give bonafide occupants a token of appreciation equivalent to 70% of the total sum paid while purchasing their plots, a move that community objected.
Over 110 inhabitants are affected including a home of a 76-year-old widow, Nakayemba Teopista, a resident of Ttamu ‘C’ Local council one. The actions of affected communities to block a tractor from grading their properties angered the businessman, which resulted into a police arrest and imprisonment.
Appearing before Grade One magistrate in Mityana, the trio was charged with attempted murder and were not allowed to enter a plea since the court did not have powers to try such a case and remanded to Mityana prison.
The prosecution alleges that Ssekandi Charles, a Local council (I) one chairperson Ttamu village, Mawejje Jospeh and Nsubuga Yakobo 26/05/2019 attempted to murder one Kigozi Sanyu.
Formasa limited, a Chinese owned Company dealing in tree planting business was in 2010 introduced to 1000 native families from over twelve (12) villages in both Maddudu and Butoloogo sub counties by Mubende District Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Evelyn Tinkamarirwa Akiiki. RDC is a president’s representative at a district whose position is established by the 1995 Constitution of Republic of Uganda.
The company allegedly bought land totaling to over ten (10) square miles covering 12 villages namely; Kaziragoma, Nakasozi, Kyedikyo, Kamagwa, Kicucuulo, Namayindi, Kiguluka, Kabuwuka, Kaswa, Kitebi, Kyabbogo and Kisiigwa.
No sooner had the company been introduced than hundreds of casual laborers were brought and established a camp under Mubende police protection. Family gardens and plantations started getting destroyed to plant both eucalyptus and thorny pine trees, burning down people’s houses, allegedly gang raping women, attacking community members with pangs and machetes, harassment of community members, arresting and detaining community leaders opposing illegal land evictions.
Lubuuka Harunah, 35, is a resident of Kisiigwa LC1, Maddudu Sub County. He claims that on 02/7/2014 he was attacked at his home by a group of company workers. He said his body parts were cut with machete and got admitted at Mubende Referral Hospital. “I was being accused of refusing to vacate my land for the company to plant trees”. Said Lubuuka.
He said upon being discharged from hospital, he filed an assault case against company workers at Mubende police station on 04/07/2014 but instead; Mubende police arrested him few days later and got produced before court. He was charged with assault CR. CASE NO.514/2014 for assaulting FORMASA company workers.
Court remanded him to Kaweeri prison for one year after which, he secured cash bail and got released from prison.
Lubuuka said that by the time he returned home, he found his entire land covered by trees belonging to Formasa Company on top of demolishing his house that he had built there!
I tried to seek justice, but any government office like Police, RDC, among others, that I have been to, they just send me away only threatening to arrest and get me back to prison again. In fact, I am now timid to the extent that I no longer want to talk about these things anymore”. Said Lubuuka. He added that the case was later dismissed due to lack of evidence after losing his entire land to the company.
Paul Sinamenye, 54 a resident of Nakasozi village, Naluwondwa Parish – Maddudu Sub-County, claims he was falsely charged with assaulting Stephen Tumwine, the Manager at Formasa Company under Criminal case No 0608/2016. He said, when he was taken to court, he wasn’t allowed to say anything and Grade One Magistrate Wandera Wilson remanded him to Kaweeri prison. “What hurts me is that Formasa Company used the period I spent in prison to grab my land through planting their trees and as I speak now, I don’t have any farmland to grow food to feed my family” said Sinamenye.
Sinamenye added that his case was later dismissed after the complainant (Tumwine) made a U-turn and denied having been beaten.
He said they later filed a civil suit against Asiimwe for malicious case civil suit No. MBD CS 16/2107 Hategyeka Esau & Sinamenye Paul Vs Tumwine Stephen. “Upon receiving court papers requiring him to put in his defence within 15 days, he came with police to arrest me and Hategyeka. We were arrested and charged with a new assault case No. 0608/16 accusing us of beating up workers of Formasa Company” said Sinamenye.
He added that they were remanded to Kaweeri prison before being granted cash bail of 500,000 UGX equivalent to about USD 150 on 31/1/2017.
Jimmy Ssegujja, 45, is a resident of Kyedikyo village, Maddudu Sub County. He said during the forceful evictions by Formasa Company, he refused to leave his land and resisted the company’s plan to plant trees in his land. As a punishment he was arrested by police and charged with a case relating to removing of boundary marks contrary to CS 338 Penal Code Act on file CRB 518/12/case No. 192/2012. The magistrate jailed him at Kaweeri prison, before being transferred to Kijumba prison.
After spending three months on remand, I was taken back to court, but I was never allowed to bring my witnesses only to be convicted and sentenced to six months. On completion of my sentence, I returned to my home, but I couldn’t find my wife at home-she had left, and part of my land had been grabbed. But my efforts to reclaim the ownership of my land was in futility, because Formasa Company seem to have bribed all officials in the various government offices I ran to, because everybody gave my issues deaf ears.
A mother of 8 children whose husband was kidnapped by agents of tree planting company is struggling to feed her children and raise school frees. Since the family land was grab by Formasa company, children dropped out of school and suffering from hunger and starvation.
Nanyunja Annet, a wife of Ssemmombwe Richard, 43 currently in prison, said they forcefully lost their marital house
and land equivalent to 10 acres to the Formasa company. “Our land has been a source of food and school fees for our seven (7) school going children” Said Nanyunja…
She added that the grabbing of their land occurred shortly after the disappearance of her husband Ssemmombwe who had refused to vacate it without adequate compensation.
Ssemmombwe, a resident of Butoro local council 1, Maduddu sub county was kidnapped from his home on 18th/07/2017 at 10:00am by unidentified men in plain clothes and whisked away in a private numbered salon car. Ssemmombwe is a father of 8 children with the youngest being a pair of twins aged one year old.
According to Nanyunja, Ssemmombwe was kept in unknown detention center for 8 (eight) days before he was paraded before magistrate court in Mubende. He was later charged with aggravated robbery and murder before being remanded to Kaweeri prison, where he’s currently being imprisoned.
Nanyunja said after losing their land, she’s being hired as a casual laborer to raise money to feed her big family.
Kalangala – Uganda – Victims of land grabbing in Uganda are meeting for the first time to share experience and reach a consensus on how to push back land grabs.
The meeting has attracted victims from across the country among them include; Kiryandongo, Kalangala, Mubende, Buvuma, Mukono, and Kayunga who will also interface with victims of land grabs in other parts of the Africa continent.
The Ugandan group is expected to learn from other African countries on how to work together to find a joint solution to the endless land grabs orchestrated by international agribusiness companies and security.
The Country Director of Witness radio, Wokulira Geoffrey Ssebaggala says that victims are meeting to discuss land grab effects to family land, strategize approaches to promote food sovereignty, and at the end of a 3-day meeting, groups will form a national movement that will speak with a common voice against land grabbing.
“The land grab affected communities will discuss how investments respectful of rights namely sugarcane, maize, forest land, coffee, and palm oil among others should meaningfully benefit them as communities not to promoting dispossession,” Said, Wokulira.
He added that sharing experiences, learning best practices to pushing back land grabs as well as discussing opportunities to work together is high on the agenda.
Mubende – Uganda – the High Court in Mubende has released two Witness Radio members and 26 others on bail after spending 28 months in prison. In late 2018, all the 28 were targeted and arrested because of their role in empowering the community to lawfully desist an illegal eviction, charged with 9 counts including murder and aggravated robbery, and remanded.
This was the second bail attempt after the 2019 bail for two Witness Radio members Grace Nantubiro and Ronald Mugwabya was rejected by the then Mubende High Court resident Judge Justice Joseph Murangira on pretty flimsy excuses.
Before the arrest of Grace Nantubiro and Ronald Mugwabya, the duo had used the media platforms local radio stations, and community meetings to call upon Mubende district authorities to intervene and stop an illegal and forceful eviction of 3500 inhabitants off five villages namely; Kambuye, Kikono, Kyabaana, Kanseera, and Lwensanga in East Division in Mubende municipality by one Kaweesi George.
Also in the line of fighting for the protection of the community’s land, Grace Nantubiro, Ronald Mugwabya, and some members of the press at one point were waylaid and kidnapped by laborers of the businessman. Mubende police rescued them but the perpetrators remained scot-free.
Due to public pressure, the situation was arrested by the then Mubende district police commander Martin Okoyo and other leaders, stopped the eviction, and ordered the withdraw of the businessman’s casual laborers from the community’s land until the land matter is resolved.
Shortly after the withdrawal, the laborers were secretly returned on the conflicted land in the wee hours in the following night and a fight ensued between businessman’s laborers and some locals. In a process, the life of one Yunusu Tabu was lost. Tabu was a manager of laborers.
The deadly scuffle introduced the criminalization of land rights defense and caused a random arrest that targeted Grace Nantubiro and Ronald Mugwabya because of their work. Some of the activists namely; Mugisha Focus, Ssekamana Kaloli, Mwikirize Keleti, Ssewanyana Kizza John, Tumwine Moses, Bigirwa Gilbert, Mulindwa Tadeo, Kayesu Patrick, Kyalimpa Tobias, Mugisha Stephen, Mwesigye John, Kiiza John Bosco, Byakatonda Aroon, Manirikiza Elidefunce, Tabalamule William, Kobwemi Christopher, Kiwanuka Emmanuel, Senkula Charles, Ssemombwe George, Musinguzi Paul, Biryomumisho Fred, Maniriho Forodis, Habimana Ernest, Byaruhanga Emmanuel, Mwesigye Julius, and Kezaala Saul were severely beaten and tortured by Mubende police during the arrest and as result, some still have visible scars all over their bodies.
The ill-planned arrest and conduct by Mubende police facilitated a land grab of more than 322.5 hectares, registered on Block 168; Plots 19, 22, and 23 in Mubende Municipality, Mubende district.
While appearing before Mubende High Court Judge Justice Isaac Muwata, all the 28 were released on a cash bail of 100,000 Uganda Shillings (one hundred thousand shillings) equivalent to about US dollars 28 while sureties were conditioned UGX 2 million not cash.
Other conditions, the 28 are required to report to the Mubende High Court registrar’s chambers every first Monday of the month.
Mubende – Uganda – More than 800 families from Kyamukoona, Kijojolo and Kalagala villages- Mubende District have petitioned the district land board to immediately cancel the land title that was fraudulently issued out to one Samuel Wambi Maamali. They explain that the cancellation will avert the looming eviction.
The lease was issued out on August, 1st 2015, a process the community regarded as fraudulent because the title was acquired from the center (Land Commission), which contradicts the legal procedures of acquiring a freehold title.
The community members stated that the person who fraudulently acquired a land title never consulted the area, parish and sub-county land boards that should have advised and guided on whether the land was lawfully being occupied and cultivated.
The residents revealed that they have occupied the land for more than 40 years, and it houses government-aided schools, hospitals, churches, and several vital infrastructures.
It is reported that the residents, local leaders, and Maamali held a meeting in 2019 in which (Maamali) said he was not interested in the land because his initial interest was on a land situated at Kalingo LC1 Mugungulu Parish- Bagezza Sub country –Mubende district not that of Kyamukoona. He later asked the residents to refund the money (UGX 200, 000) which he claims having used to survey and demarcate the 1.5 mile land, which they without hesitation accepted.
However, Maamali overturned the meeting resolution as he has since issued the residents with an eviction notice.
“I have occupied this land for the last over 40 years, well knowing that this is public land but I was astonished to learn that the District Land Board went ahead and illegally processed a land title for block 240 Plot 12, which is totally wrong” Bwambale reveals.
Ahimbisibwe David, a resident of Kijojolo Cell says “I wanted to formalize my land ownership. I was shocked to learn that it was already surveyed by an unknown person in the area”.
It is alleged that the district land board has previously leased out people’s land to tycoons without following proper legal procedures.
MUBENDE — The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested four police officers for allegedly mismanaging case files to protect businessman Abid Alam who is accused of torturing people and destroying their property in Kassanda District.
Lt Col Edith Nakalema, the head of the unit, told journalists on Saturday, April 11 that those arrested are Regional CID officer Wamala Wanyama Wilber Ostin, DPC Kasanda Owellano Daniel, OCCID Kasanda Beitera Peter and the In charge CID Records Sgt. Azale.
“These are accused of allegedly mismanaging case files, conspiracy to defeat justice and professional misconduct in relation to cases reported against Abid Alam,” she said while parading the suspects.
State House Anti-Corruption Unit on Thursday arrested Abid Alam for alleged crimes he committed last Saturday at Bukoba and Bukompe villages, Nalutuntu Parish, Nalutuntu Sub County in Kassanda South Constituency. Col Nakalema said the businessman was arrested regarding allegations that a group of people attached to him gang raped a woman, destroyed banana plantations, robbed property and battered residents of Bukoba and Bukompe villages, among others.
“When I contacted the RPC Wamala sub region to investigate the matter, he said they had 27 files of atrocities against Abid Alam. A woman was gang raped, people were beaten, plantations cut down,” she said.
A group of people attached to the Indian investor allegedly invaded the farm of one Arthur Mugyenyi, a resident of Bukoba village.
The area MP Simeo Nsubuga said during the attack, the assailants injured one Samuel Kyakabale, the cattle keeper of Mr Mugyenyi and gang-raped his wife as he and his children watched helplessly.
They also reportedly destroyed two houses, cut down three acres of banana plantation, before taking away 200 heads of cattle and 50 goats.
Kassanda – Uganda – More than 20,000 people from 3 villages in Nalutuntu sub-county in the Kassanda district are on the verge of being illegally evicted from the land they have derived livelihood for decades.
The affected villages include Kyakatebe, Namuganga A and B in Kassanda, a district, recently curved out of Mubende district which is rated as one of the most affected districts with many cases of illegal land evictions.
The land which measures about 628 acres was allegedly fraudulently acquired and targeted by Lieutenant David Kabagambe and one Mohammed Waiswa for a purpose, which is still unknown.
The land grab was discovered when the residents (now the affected persons) moved to the district land office to start a process of acquiring a certificate of land ownership of their land. According to affected residents, officials at the area district land office their land is registered under the names of Lieutenant David Kabagambe and Mohammed Waiswa.
JuliusLwanga, a 43-year-old, one of the affected residents said officials at the district land board blocked their process of acquiring a certificate of land title on grounds that a piece of land cannot have multiple titles.
Gertrude Nanziri, a 72 year and grandparent of 15 children expressed fears of losing 7 acres of land to grabber which has been a source of livelihood and employment for decades.
“I occupied this land in 1965. I don’t have where to go. I lost all my children and am the caretaker of the family. What do they expect me to feed them with,” asked Mrs. Nanziri?
Residents have now tasked the district land board to produce individuals claim to own their land with proof of due diligence to acquire their land.
“If the title shows we are on their land and yet some of us have titles on the same land. This is total land grabbing with impunity which we cannot accept. We are determined as a community to fight for our land,” Said Mr. Mbaziira Godfrey a 52-year-old resident of Namuganga A.
Efforts to talk to Mr. Kabagambe and Waiswa were futile since their known contacts used while acquiring the land could not go through.
experitokimazi 