HOIMA-The more than 500 families that were evicted from the disputed five square miles of land in Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties in Hoima district have been blocked from returning to their homes.
The families comprising mainly cultivators and pastoralists were evicted from the villages of Waaki North, Kapapi Central, Waaki South, Runga, and Kiryatete in February by a team of police officers backed by private security guards.
The land on which the evictees were living is claimed by tycoons based in Hoima district and Kampala.
One of the titles measuring 2, 545 acres [1,030 hectares] is owned by six people including Ndahura William Gafayo, Astoni Muhwezi, Alex Kyamanywa, Nathan Kiiza Byarugonjo, Bahuzya, Monica Rwashadika, and Wilber Kiiza. The title covers part of Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties.
Another land title for a piece of land measuring about three square miles belongs to Moses Asiimwe Byagire, a businessman in Hoima town. This title covers four villages of Waki South, Waki North, Runga, Kapapi Central, and Kiryateete in Kapapi Sub-county.
Some of the evictees have since pitched camp at Rwenyana Gospel Church in Kapaapi Sub-county while others are scattered in the neighboring villages where they sleep in the cold.
On February 22, 2023, the Minister of Lands, Judith Nabakooba met the evictees at Rukola village in Kapapi sub-county, Nabakooba, and ordered them to return to their homes, saying they were evicted unlawfully since there was no court order.
She added that the eviction was conducted without following the land law, which gives a bonafide occupant chance to buy the land he is living on or be compensated by the landlord.
She also ordered security to arrest all those people who got involved in the eviction of the residents as she promised to investigate the issues surrounding the contested land.
However, three weeks after Nabakooba’s directives, the affected residents are still languishing in untold suffering as they have been blocked from accessing their homes.
According to the evictees, they attempted to return to their homes but were blocked by Uganda People’s Defence Forces soldiers deployed on the contested piece of land.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Margret Mirimo, one of the evictees explained that when she attempted to access her home, soldiers threatened to arrest her.
She noted that their efforts to return to their homes have been frustrated by the soldiers. He accuses government of turning a deaf ear to their suffering.
Chris Bahemurwaki, the Kapapi Sub-county LCV councilor said the current situation is beyond their control, adding that the evictees are in total suffering.
David Karubanga, the Kigorobya County Member of Parliament said that they are still engaging the Ministry of Lands to ensure that the evictees are helped to return to their homes.
He further explained that they are engaging the Ministry of Defence to find out who deployed soldiers on the contested land even after the Lands minister ordered the evictees to return to their homes.
Pius Wakabi, the Bugahua County Member of Parliament said, “There is a dilemma in the country if a Minister‘s order cannot be respected.”
He noted that such an act shows that there are some big people within the government who are behind the land grabbing and eviction of people in Bunyoro Sub-region.
It should be remembered that a few days after the Minister made the directives the seven purported landlords threatened to sue Minister Nabakooba, RDC Mbabazi, and one Deus Mugume, accusing the minister of making unlawful directives.
Michael Kyakashari, the Hoima deputy resident district commissioner said the eviction was conducted by private security guards who were sanctioned from Kampala and are still deployed on the disputed land.
https://thecooperator.news/hoima-leaders-call-for-probe-into-brutal-eviction-of-kapapi-residents/
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