KIKUUBE-Angry residents of Bwera LC1 in Kyangwali Sub-county in Kikuube district turned violent on Wednesday, killing 40 cows, and torching four houses belonging to Pastor George Baguma of Bwera Miracle Church. The violence was sparked following the arrest of five people in the area by the State House Land Protection Unit.
The arrest followed a petition filed by Pastor Baguma, asking security agencies to help evict people who had encroached on his land.
According to Baguma, a group of people led by his brother George Kabuhanda, the locals illegally took over part of his land, which made him seek legal redress. He obtained a court order to evict the encroachers, but the group has vehemently refused to vacate.
This forced him to seek the intervention of the State House Land Protection Unit, which on Wednesday morning stormed the area and arrested five suspects. The arrest of the five suspects angered residents who became violent.
The locals first blocked the road for hours stopping the unit from taking the suspects until when the State House Land Protection Unit officers fired in the air to disperse the angry residents.
After the State House Land Protection Unit personnel had left the area, the angry residents attacked the farm of Baguma and started cutting the cows, leaving 40 cows dead.
The residents also Baguma’s home and burnt four of his houses, leaving several properties including two motorcycles and bicycles destroyed.
Recently, the Director of Public Prosecutions [DPP], Jane Frances Abodo dropped the murder charges against Pastor George Baguma which the residents protested.
The residents accuse pastor Baguma and seven other people of murdering John Turyamureba.
However, Baguma denies the allegations, saying that the residents are framing such allegations against him with the intention of taking his land.
H called on the government to intervene in the matter, adding that his family had deserted their home because of threats of murdering him and his family.
He explains that during the attack, one of his casual workers went missing and he suspects that he was killed by the mob.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube district resident commissioner blamed the violence on the State House Land Protection Unit operatives whom he accused of going to effect the arrest of the suspects without informing the district security committee which would have helped in handling the situation better.
He also blamed the residents for taking laws into their hands, adding that he has several times advised the locals to leave the court to settle the matter instead of wanting to take laws into their hands.
Julius Hakiiza, the Albertine police spokesperson confirmed the incident adding that police has launched the hunt for all those who committed a crime.
https://thecooperator.news/land-violence-in-amuru-disposes-widows-of-property-rights/
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