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Police evict 15,000 Sembabule residents
Police have evicted at least 15,000 people who had settled on land owned by the government and private individuals in Ntuusi Sub-county in Sembabule District.
Areas that were occupied by encroachers are now being guarded by hundreds of armed Field Force Unit and Tourism Police officers.
The evicted people, who are from Ntungamo, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Kabaale and Kyegegwa districts, occupied square miles of land owned by government institutions like investment and forestry authorities.
By press time yesterday, the Police Chief, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, was still holding a meeting with local leaders in Sembabule District to find a new place to resettle them.
“The people who had camped here have willingly gone back to their home districts. But we are investigating how they came here and who is behind the mobilisation,” Lt. Gen. Kayihura said on Saturday.
Ssembabule Resident District Commissioner Kamara Bayeeye said: “They came with machetes, hoes, axes and tents. We shall not accept this unlawful acquisition of land.”
The land in question includes: the five square miles where Bigo bya Mugenyi, a cultural site is located, the 28 square miles of Kazooba Forest Reserve and four-and-a half square miles in Bigaaga Parish that Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) sold to a company in which the area LC 3 chairman, Mr Emmanuel Kamuyingo, has shares.
The land owners, evicted people and local leaders are now trading accusations, ranging from favouritism in land allocation to land grabbing.
Mr Mwesigye Baryehuuki, whose 200 acres of land were encroached on, said the encroachers will come back because “there is a force behind their mobilisation.”
Mr Benon Buyaayo, another land owner, accused four councillors from Lwemiyaga County of being behind the mobilisation of the encroachers. They all denied the accusations.
Local councillors say President Museveni promised to purchase the four-and-a half square miles in Bigaaga to resettle peasants.
But State House did not pay the balance and the land was taken over by UIA who later sold it to Kamuyingo’s company.
Lwemiyaga County councillor Johnson Kamugisha said some of the now homeless people were supposed to occupy Bigaaga and part of Bigo bya Mugenyi after they were displaced from other government owned ranches.
“The ranches were given to a few rich people with a promise that the government will buy land and resettle those who had occupied the land,” he said.
The government gave three square miles of Bigo bya Mugenyi to cultivators and pastoralists.
The cultivators were expected to occupy one square mile of land but the land was allegedly grabbed by the district chairman, Dr Elly Muhumuza.
The cultivators reportedly encroached on the land reserved for the cultural site after theirs was taken.
However, Dr Muhumuza said he legally occupied the land.
