Fights that have plagued Sakwa’s tenure as RDC
Arrest. The Jinja Resident District Commissioner, Mr Eric Sakwa, at Jinja Magistrate’s Court on Friday. PHOTO BY DERRICK KISSA
Whoever meets embattled Jinja Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Eric Sakwa, for the first time, concludes that his reputation precedes him.
When he was arrested and whisked away to Jinja Magistrate’s Court and arraigned before magistrate Ann Kobusingye last Friday, many Ugandans did not know what to make of a suspect like Mr Sakwa.
He was charged with manslaughter, a crime of killing a person without malice aforethought (conscious intent to kill) and carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment upon conviction.
According to the charge sheet, between March 22 and April 17, at Lwanda Village in Jinja District, Mr Sakwa unlawfully caused the death of Charles Isanga, a businessman.
Mr Sakwa, 38, was jointly charged with Mr Bumali Bazimbyewa, 19, a mechanic, and Mr Simba Mohammed, alias, Meddie, 31, a businessman in Jinja, before being remanded to Kirinya government prison inJinja until May 13.
Mr Sakwa, his co-accused and alleged accomplices who are still at large, according to prosecution, allegedly stole Shs80,000, three crates of beer, eight trays of eggs, sachets of waragi and soda, valued at approximately Shs429,000 from Isanga’s shop.
Sakwa’s RDC tenure
Since his posting to Jinja, Mr Sakwa has had an eventful tenure on all fronts, but largely for clashing with alleged land grabbers.
One of his most notable clashes came to light in 2016 over cash donations for organising Independence Day celebrations.
While serving as Jinja deputy RDC, he reportedly clashed with his former boss, Mr Richard Gulume, and the Luuka RDC, Mr Stephen Nsubuga Bewayo, when Luuka District was chosen to host the Independence Daycelebrations.
An organising committee comprising of Mr Gulume and Mr Bewayo was constituted to kick start preparations.
However, some committee members reportedly visited factories in Jinja District and solicited money for the said celebrations, which put them on a collision course with Mr Sakwa.
Mr Sakwa then said: “Their conduct was improper because the celebrations were fully funded by the government.”
Following this public spat, Mr Sakwa was transferred to Kumi as deputy RDC; and while it was believed that his political clout had been clipped, a reshuffle in 2018 returned him to Jinja as RDC, while Mr Gulume and Mr Bewayo were dropped.
Mr Sakwa immediately embarked on fighting alleged land grabbers, starting in Mafubira Sub-county, where he clashed with the chairperson, Mr Hamisi Kiganira, over a contentious plot of land that was on the brink of being sold off.
Mr Sakwa argued that the said land belonged to a government health centre.
While Mr Sakwa can be credited for fighting land grabbers in Jinja District, he also rattled some big political feathers.
In August last year, the Commission of Inquiry into land matters led by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire summoned [Jinja Municipality West] MP Moses Balyeku to provide evidence on the transfer of land titles for Plot 24B Kyabazinga Way in Nalufenya to businessman Thummar Jay Magnalal.
Mr Balyeku had been pinned by more than three witnesses for influencing the land transfer and Mr Sakwa earlier told the Commission that Mr Balyeku had declared to a security meeting
convened over the land that he has freehold title over the contested land whose transfer had turned controversial.
While Mr Sakwa’s arrest came as a surprise to many, the Jinja Municipal Council Speaker, Mr Moses Bizitu, said he saw it coming.
Mr Bizitu said he has clashed with Mr Sakwa because of his work methods.
He added: “There is nothing personal I hold against Mr Sakwa, but he works alone and doesn’t embrace tactics of teamwork. He doesn’t know that when you work with others, they complement your weakness.”
Mr Bizitu said the mass protests held at Jinja Court at the weekend was ‘cheap politics at play’ and singled out the district chairperson, Mr Titus Kisambira, and Mr Julius Ziwa, a 2021 mayoral aspirant, for seizing the moment to ‘revive their waning political careers’.
On Saturday, hundreds of protesters stormed Jinja Court, accusing local politicians and land grabbers of being behind Mr Sakwa’s arrest and demanding his release.
What Sakwa’s arrest means
Mr Eric Sakwa’s continued incarceration means Jinja District has no RDC, deputy Resident District Commissioner, head of security and chairperson of the Covid-19 taskforce.
Mr Sakwa has been at the forefront of distributing food to vulnerable communities in Jinja and issuing travel permits to patients.
Jinja has not had a deputy RDC since last year when Ms Hanifa Kaladi resigned, allegedly citing a poor working relationship with Mr Sakwa, among other reasons.
Ms Kaladi, in August last year, threatened to drag Mr Sakwa to court for alleging that she had received a Shs20m bribe to manipulate the allocation of the contentious Plot 24B on Kyabazinga Way in Nalufenya to businessman Jay Magnalal Patel.
Ms Kaladi publicly sought Mr Sakwa to retract his statement or face a defamatory suit.
