84-year-old woman remanded in unresolved land dispute

The unresolved case of an 84-year-old woman, now remanded at Butuntumula government prison on charges of trespass and malicious damage, has drawn mixed reactions from a section of the Luweero District leaders and locals.

Kevina Nabaseruka (84) who is a resident of Kyakatula Village in Kikyusa Sub County, Luweero District was on May 24 remanded till June 8 when the case will come up for mention.

The suspect appeared before Luweero Chief Magistrate Marriam Ssemwanga Nalugya on May 24 when the case came up for mention. Local leaders have expressed concern over how “the file was quickly processed for prosecution.”

Richard Bwabye, the Luweero RDC in an interview with the Monitor on Thursday said his office will use the local leaders to find the elusive landlord and have the matter resolved.

“This old lady had earlier come to my office in April complaining about her house that was destroyed in a land dispute. I tried to call the landlord who claims to have bought the land now under dispute but the landlord is still elusive. I don’t know why the landlord is dodging my office but we shall have this matter sorted,” he said.

“We have to ensure that this old woman gets Court bond,” the RDC added.

But Christine Nakabugo, the district woman councilor for Kikyusa Sub County says that she has been following up the case where Nabaseruka lost her land and property when one of the relatives sold the 11-acre land that their family had occupied without involving the family.

“Nabaseruka is a victim of the unfair land transaction that has left her homeless. We hope that justice will be done. We are surprised that the police arrested the old woman and processed a Court file. At the age of 84, one should not lose land that she has used for more than 60 years,” she said.

Abubaker Ssematimba, the former LC3 Chairperson for Kikyusa Sub County in a brief interview with Monitor expressed shock that Nabaseruka was in prison.

“This case is not new. While still in office as LC3 Chairperson, I tasked Mulokole Kasumba who had sold the land without involving Nabaseruka to find means of ensuring that she gets her share of the land,” he said.

“I have the hope that when the matter comes to Court, Nabaseruka will get justice. At her age, Nabaseruka is not supposed to be in prison, he opined.

According to the Luweero RDC’s office, more than 60% of the land disputes that are registered in the are are linked to unresolved family conflicts.