Mubende double murder: Relatives blame politicians for land disputes
Police at the scene where Ms Milly Naava Namutebi, 53, and her husband Mr Abudallah Kayizi, 54, were killed over land related conflicts on July 31,2023. PHOTO/BARBRA NALWEYISO
What you need to know:
- The relatives claim that the politicians have been taking sides, mostly backing squatters to occupy the disputed three square mile piece of land stretching across 14 villages in Kiruma Sub County.
Relatives of Ms Milly Naava Namutebi, 53, and her husband Mr Abudallah Kayizi, 54, who were murdered by suspected squatters on their family estate in Kirwanyi Village, Mubende District, blame area politicians for the July 31 incident.
The relatives claim that the politicians have been taking sides, mostly backing squatters to occupy the disputed three square mile piece of land stretching across 14 villages in Kiruma Sub County.
The couple and their two sons, Mr Muzafaru Ssekamatte and Mr Ibrahim Kawuma, were attacked by about 30 residents armed with machetes, spears, clubs, and axes as they walked to the garden to collect food.
Mr Kayizi was the first to be attacked, beaten with clubs, and later hit on the head with an axe. In the chaos, Namutebi attempted to run away, but one of the attackers threw a stone at her back, causing her to fall, and then struck her head with an axe. Both Ssekamatte and Kawuma narrowly escaped death by fleeing from the mob.
Ms Milly Naava Namutebi , the landlady who was killed by suspected tenants over land dispute. PHOTO/BARBRA BALWEYIS0
Ms Sarah Bukuliisa, a relative of Namutebi, accuses politicians of inciting the squatters against the landlords during several meetings in the area.
"The politicians chose to gain political capital out of our anguish. They ignored the truth that Namutebi was one of our three administrators and chose to side with the squatters because they are many," she said on August 1.
She said the disputed land was inherited from their grandfather Mr Zakaliya Kikonyogo, but only three square miles are being contested.
“Our grandfather got that land from Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II [former king of Buganda Kingdom ]in 1926 as a token of appreciation for helping the kingdom in rescuing Buwekula County which was being claimed by Bunyoro Kingdom,” she said.
Mr Pascal Mbabazi, the Buwekula County MP, one of the politicians accused by the bereaved family of inciting the community, declined to comment on the conflict, stating that he was busy in Parliament.
In a previous meeting addressed by the commissioner of police operations Mr Denis Namuwoza, Mr Mbabazi referred to Namutebi as a "nightmare" who mistreated tenants and evicted them from their bibanja, posing a threat to the community.
Another family member, Mr Henry Kaaya, who is one of the administrators of the estate, said that initially, the family knew only 30 sitting tenants.
However, after the lands minister Ms Judith Nabakooba's meeting on August 26, 2021, directing those who had been evicted to reoccupy their bibanja, other people took advantage and settled on the land, bringing the total number of occupants to 100.
In response, Ms Nabakooba refuted reports that she ordered the bibanja holders to reoccupy the disputed land, insisting that she only asked the police to stop arresting people over trespass.
“They [Namutebi’s family] are lying, I visited that area in 2021 and the bloody incident has happened in 2023, can you blame that on me?" she told Monitor yesterday.
By yesterday, five people had been arrested in connection with Monday's attack, but the family members insist that prime suspects, including Mr Benjamin Tumusiime, Mr Sliver Ssesaazi, Mr Alex Katongole, Mr Herman Byakatonda, and his children, are still at large.
Land disputes have become a major issue in many districts in central Uganda, with wealthy landowners claiming their ancestral land and evicting poor tenants, often leading to violent confrontations and loss of lives.
Some recent similar incidents:
On August 18, 2021, Rev. Fr Josephat Kasambula of Kiyinda –Mityana Diocese was brutally murdered by a man who had allegedly encroached on his 15-acre farm at Lukunyu Village near Mamba landing site on Lake Wamale .The incident happened when the victim had gone to visit his farm.
On August 7 2019, known people pounced on a landlord, Mr Kamada Muhammad Kimbugwe, 50 and killed him at Minaana Village, Mityana District.
Kimbugwe meant his death as he distributed copies of letters to tenants occupying his 1 square mile piece of land at two villages including Minaana, Galaba, Tamu Division, Mityana Municipality.
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