Hoima court remands 70-year-old man over disputed land

The Hoima Chief Magistrates Court has today remanded 70-year-old Robert Musoga to Hoima Government Prison for one week over allegations of forcefully retaining disputed land.

Presiding over the case, Hoima Chief Magistrate George Nfitundinda heard that Musoga had forcefully occupied 40 acres of land located in Kahoro Village, Kabatalya Parish, Buhimba Sub-county in Kikuube District.

The contested land reportedly belongs to the family of the late Festo Munionga from the same sub-county.

Musoga has been embroiled in a land dispute with the Munionga family since 1995. In 2015, the Munionga family filed a case against him at the Buhimba Sub-county LCIII court, accusing him of attempting to seize their family land.

The court ruled in favor of the Munionga family and ordered Musoga to vacate the contested land. However, Musoga declined, claiming he held full ownership of the land.

Musoga subsequently appealed the ruling at the Masindi Chief Magistrates Court, but the appeal was dismissed. The Masindi court then issued a warrant of vacant possession, handing over the land to the Munionga family, and a warrant of execution was issued and enforced by police.

On April 18, 2016, court bailiff Everest Buteera, with support from officers of Hoima Central Police Station, executed the court order, officially transferring the land to the Munionga family and erecting a barbed-wire fence to mark its boundaries.

Disregarding court’s decision, Musoga allegedly destroyed the fence and continued using the land for farming, insisting he inherited it from his grandmother.

The family later petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, prompting an investigation that led to Musoga's arrest on October 29, 2024.

In court on Thursday, Chief Magistrate Nfitundinda stated: “It is said that you, Musoga, between April 2016 and 2024, at Kahoro Village, intimidated Martin Karamagi, who is legally entitled to the possession of the said land. Have you understood?”

 Musoga pleaded not guilty, responding: “It is not true.”

Magistrate Nfitundinda subsequently remanded Musoga to Hoima Government Prison until November 7, 2024, allowing time for the state to verify documents presented by the sureties.

Defense attorney Aron Baryabanza had applied for bail on behalf of Musoga, presenting two sureties, but state prosecutor Becky Aseera objected to the request.

“The accused person has a right to apply for bail, and I have brought two substantial sureties to court,” Baryabanza explained, but the request was denied pending further verification.