400 families defy court eviction order
Defiant. The affected residents during a meeting at Bwonda Landing Site in Mayuge on Tuesday. PHOTO BY YAZID YOLISIGIRA
What you need to know:
- Residents alleged that Mr Kitimbo connived with district leaders to grab their land and asked President Museveni to intervene.
Mayuge. More 400 families at Bwonda Landing Site in Mayuge District are in danger of eviction after a court in Iganga District ruled that the land they occupy belongs to a businessman.
The contested land, which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, comprises several villages in Bwonda Zone A and Bwondha Zone B in Malongo Sub-county.
The purported owner, Mr Henry Kitimbo, had in 2003 dragged the occupants to the Iganga Magistrate’s Court, claiming they were illegally settling on his land.
Whereas Mr Kitimbo claimed he bought the land in 1984 and has a land title, residents dismissed the claim, saying the land belongs to government, which allowed them occupancy after they were evicted from South Busoga Forest Reserve.
Despite a ruling by Grade One Magistrate Charles Yatesa that the land belongs to Mr Kitimbo, residents have since refused to vacate the land, accusing the businessman of being a land grabber.
A meeting convened on Tuesday by the District Police Commander, Mr Charles Ahimbisibwe, to harmonise positions between the residents and the businessman was unsuccessful as residents insisted they were the bonafide owners of the land and vowed not to vacate.
Mr Rashid Naku, the Bwondha Zone A Village chairperson, insisted the government resettled the residents on the land in the 1980s.
“We were given this land by government as an alternative for vacating what they called a forest reserve and we have nowhere to go,” Mr Naku said.
Ms Sarah Mutesi, a resident, said she has lived on the said land for more than 10 years and has nowhere to go. Residents alleged that Mr Kitimbo connived with district leaders to grab their land and asked President Museveni to intervene.
Claimant a no-show
And whereas he (Kitimbo) was invited by police to come and show them the contested boundaries, he did not show up. Efforts to get a comment from him were futile as his known mobile phone number was unavailable. Mr Ahimbisibwe said they will ask Court to halt the eviction until both parties reach consensus.
“We invited Kitimbo to come and show us the boundaries but he did not show up. I am going to ask court to halt the eviction because we do not know where his boundaries are,” Mr Ahimbisibwe said.
He urged the affected residents to remain peaceful and avoid engaging in violence.
