Tension as Busamba land tenants get death threats

A section of residents living on the disputed 1,044-acre land in Wakiso District are living in fear after anonymous individuals dropped letters in the area, threatening to kill them.
Fifteen residents from the three villages of Busamba, Kinyika-Gayaza, and Ngondwe-Kanziro say the letters are warning to get ready for what is coming their way in the near future.
The letters, which were accompanied by machetes, were dropped on Sunday in different homes of residents who have persistently refused to have their land demarcated by the land surveyor, Ms Berna Nakato.
“This is a serious warning to these individuals below and all others who have refused to heed the directive of the assistant RDC concerning the ownership of this land,” the letter written in Luganda reads in part.
“We have started by warning to let you know that anytime from now, we are coming for you,” the letter signed out with the word ‘Bijambiya’ adds.
The affected residents are; Kizza Jacob, Joan Namayanja, Venanti, Nakabare, Justine Nambi, one Heseke, Godfrey Mayere, Peter Ganjala, Joachim Kibabu, and one Mukansila.
Others are Erosittu Kyajamani and Mathias Mulumba, the lawyer and member of one of the conflicting family factions among others.
This comes a few weeks after the Wakiso deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Shafic Nsubuga, presented a highly contested partial State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) report on the disputed land.
The report, which was produced based on one title presented by one conflicting family faction, legalised the presence of land surveyor, Ms Nakato, on the said land who has in turn resumed forceful demarcation.
What started as the late Gabudyeri Lubajja family land conflict in December last year has since sucked in more than 5,000 residents who have peacefully lived on the land for many years.
Mr Semitala and Ssegantebuka who are grandchildren of the late Lubajja, were sued by their family members led by Ms Josephine Mpamulungi and Ms Teddy Namusoke.
They accuse the duo of, among others, fraudulently obtaining letters of administration (No. 77 of 2010) and later using them to parcel part of the land amounting to  150 acres to Ms Nakato, without informing the Bibanja holders settled on it
Trouble started unfolding earlier this year when Ms Nakato, who came on the land as a surveyor, started claiming ownership of 200 acres, threatening to evict residents, which prompted Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba to intervene.
Ms Nabakooba during her May 21 security meeting directed SHACU to conduct an investigation and release a report which was presented last month, leading to the current chaos.

Residents cry to Museveni
Residents, who spoke to this newspaper yesterday, requested President Museveni to intervene in the matter and provide security for them before Bijambiya assailants kill them.
Mr Kibabu, whose name is among the targeted people, told this newspaper that he no longer sleeps in his house for fear of being killed by the thugs.
“We need security in our village because anytime we may see dead bodies falling on this land; I personally have never been scared like this before,” he added.
The residents said they reported the case to police and presented these letters but the latter said they are not sure on who may have dropped them and didn’t record their case.
According to locals, the SHACU report has caused more harm than good because since its presentation, Ms Nakato has reportedly done many things.
Mr Mulumba, a family member who has equally been warned, said he will continue fighting for the rights of locals on the land.
“Government should swing in and offer protection to the locals because the situation is getting out of hand as the speed at which these people are operating is terrible,” he said.
Ms Nakato has also reportedly resumed forceful demarcation of her 200-acre land, which has caused more fears and tension.
“She has warned us that if we exceed this week before registering with her, we will be evicted and whoever will want to come and renegotiate with her again, will have to pay Shs3 million,” the resident added.

Court update
Meanwhile the registrar of Makindye Family Division Court Mr Samuel Olumo yesterday set December 12 as the date when he will make a ruling of the Miscellaneous Application 948 of 2023, which seeks to add Ms Nakato and 27 other new defendants on the main Civil Suit No. 08 of 2023.
The original Block 53 Plot 15 has since been sub-divided into Block 53 Plot 396-450 in what the Mpamulungi-led family members call a fraudulent way.
Hearing of the application was held yesterday, which prompted the registrar to set this date.
Efforts to get Ms Nakato to comment on the matter were futile as her known phone contacts were off by press time.
Speaking to this publication last week about the ongoing case, Ms Nakato’s lawyer from Bricards and Company Advocates told this newspaper that their client is a third party who is not involved in the ongoing family battle.