Kikuube soldiers extort money from poor farmers

Security agencies in the Albertine Region are investigating soldiers accused of extorting money from poor farmers before they can allow them to harvest their crops on Hoima Sugar land.

Over 200 farmers levelled the charges at a security meeting. They were part of a bigger group of 20,000 that had encroached on the sugar manufacturer’s land, cutting timber, burning charcoal and growing crops such as maize, beans and sorghum before being given a three-month grace-period to harvest their crops and withdraw.

The land encroached on is part of the 22 square-miles Bunyoro Kitara kingdom ancestral land in Kyangwali sub-county in Kikuube district. The entire stretch was leased to Hoima Sugar Ltd for 99 years.

The encroaching farmers were given three months to tend and harvest their 4,370 acres (about seven square miles) of crops after they signed a memorandum of understanding with the manufacturer. Thereafter they would leave the land for Hoima Sugar to plant their cane.

But after the three-month period ended and the farmers were now coming to harvest their crops, security personnel deployed there blocked them. Residents Rwembaho, Rwenkobe and Nairongo villages said you could be allowed in if you paid cash to the soldiers.

That is when Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amlan Tumusiime took action. He ordered a raid by a special security team to try and ascertain the truth of the claims.

In a meeting held in Rwenkobe village afterwards, Julius Hakiza the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson and Michael Kasigire the District Police Commander Kikuube (DPC), heard direct from the residents, who were angry and demanded immediate action to gain access to their crops.

The Rwenkobe village LC I Chairman Flex Akakwasa said it had been difficult for farmers without money to access their gardens and harvest their crops.

He claimed that people who ordered the security personnel to collect money from the farmers were allegedly from the office of the Regional Police Commander (RPC) Vicente Tumwesigye.

Residents charged that they were being forced to pay up to Shs 300, 000 and above to gain access to their gardens.

One of these was Tadeo Byamukama who said he paid 350,000 to be allowed to harvest from his two-acre maize garden.

He said they could not identify these soldiers because most of them had plucked off their name-tags from their uniforms. He said that those who failed to pay would simply be turned away.

Ronald Nyasonza a resident of Rwenkobe said he paid 300,000 to access his four acres of land under maize.

Those who tried to circumvent the soldiers’ illegal cash-collection points would be arrested and beaten badly.

Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson said they had opened an investigation at Kikuube Central Police Station. He urged complainants to go and record statements.

Hakiza said they had heard about these illegal acts for a long time and were now ready to act.

RDC Tumusiime condemned the acts and called on the locals to remain calm saying all implicated soldiers would be punished.

“Nobody is above the law. All those who engage in such acts will be punished because they did it as individuals,” he said, adding that people had the right to harvest their crops without charging them any coin.