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Ssabanyala faces arrest over Bajjo forest remarks
Cheerful. Ssabanyala Baker Kimeze greets his subjects at a function at Bbaale County headquarters in Kayunga District in 2016. PHOTO BY FRED MUZAALE
What you need to know:
- The contested Bajjo Central Forest Reserve is about 3,373 hectares.
The Banyala cultural leader, Maj Baker Kimeze, is facing arrest over alleged incitement of violence following the recent remarks he made over the controversial sale of Bajjo Central Forest Reserve in Bbaale Sub-County in Kayunga District.
According to investigations, the Ssabanyala recently led a group of protestors against the sale of the forest reserve to Kiira Motors Corporation for construction of an automobile assembling plant.
The protest prompted officials from Kiira Motors and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Ssempala Kigozi, to call off a planned visit to the contested land that day.
“We shall not allow mafias to grab this forest land. The RDC has been paid a lot of money to give away this forest,” the Ssabanyala said then .
Mr Augustine Tumwine, the Bunyala chiefdom minister for general duties, who is also the chairperson of ‘Save Bajjo taskforce’, was last week summoned at Kayunga Central Police Station on charges of inciting violence.
He recorded a statement and was released on police bond.
The district officer-in-charge of the criminal investigations department, Mr Innocent Dusabe, said Mr Tumwine was released as police carry out investigations.
A source at Kayunga Police Station told Daily Monitor that both the Ssabanyala and Mr Tumwine are facing similar charges.
However, Mr Dusabe declined to commit on when the Ssabanyala would be arrested.
“Leave that to us. You want to know things that don’t concern you,” Mr Dusabe said.
However, Mr Tumwine, who was accompanied by his lawyer and several chiefdom ministers, said the summons would not deter him from protecting the forest from land grabbers.
“It is not a crime to fight against the illegal sale of the forest. Bajjo forest is a government forest reserve and not for an individual,” Mr Tumwine said.
He also denied sabotaging government programmes, saying he was instead fighting illegalities by the RDC.
The Bunyala chiefdom premier, Mr Martin Ssenkatuuka, dismissed the pending arrest of the Ssabanyala.
“No one at Kayunga police can arrest the Ssabanyala. His arrest can only be effected with an order from above,” Mr Ssenkatuuka said.
Meanwhile, the Ssabanyala and Mr Tumwine are also facing a defamation law suit.
Mr Ssempala said the duo accused him of receiving bribes from Kiira Motors Corporation to giveaway the forest land.
“I have served them with notice of intention to sue them and they have 10 days to respond or apologise to me, failure of which I will drag them to court,” he said.
The RDC denied receiving any bribe, saying he had not yet been posted to Kayunga when the controversial sale of the forest reserve happened.
“I wanted to harmonise Kiira Motors Corporation and NFA (National Forest Authority) so that they don’t fight each since they are both government agencies. This is why these people say I was bribed,” Mr Ssempala said.
The contested Bajjo Central Forest Reserve is about 3,373 hectares. Last year, Mr Morgan Isingoma, who claimed he had a title for the natural forest, sold off two square miles to Kiira Motors.
The NFA later dismissed the transaction as illegal.
