70-year-old man runs to Nakalema over eviction 

Mr Lawrence Nabbamba at his home built on part of the contested land in Buwate, Kira Municipality in Wakiso District.  PHOTO | JULIET KIGONGO

What you need to know:

  • Background. Describing himself as a kibanja holder, Mr Nabbamba claims that he has lived on the said piece of land for more than four decades, and has been paying ground rent to the landlord, Mr Herbert Musoke Semakula, who has now reportedly sold the land to different people without his knowledge and consent as required by law.

The police are on the spot for reportedly aiding the eviction of a 70-year-old man, from a three-acre piece of land in Buwate, Kira Municipality in Wakiso District, without any compensation or following the due process of the law.

Mr Lawrence Nabbamba claims his family has lived on the disputed land for more than 40 years.

He says instead of investigating and prosecuting the four people who have allegedly forcefully built on his land after assaulting him, his wife and children, and even threatening his life, police have now commenced inquiries on accusations of criminal trespass against him.

The trespass case was reported at Buwaate Police Post by a one Robert Seruwagi of dfcu Bank, and his wife only identified as Hellen.

Mr Nabbamba says he was made to record a statement at Kira Division Police Station on Monday when he too went to report a case of criminal trespass, unlawful eviction, assault, threatening violence and malicious damage to his property against Mr Seruwagi and others.

The two accused are the new developers on the contested land that is subject to proceedings pending determination before the Supreme Court.

“I am disturbed by the conduct of the police because I have been calling them and reporting every incident as they happen without help. To my surprise, when I reported to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, they called the district police commander in my presence to stop the eviction because of the standing presidential directive, but I was instead told that I am a criminal in a place where I have lived from the 1960s,” Mr Nabbamba says.

Mr Nabbamba says he last week reported to the police at Kira Division seeking action against people, among them security personnel threatening his life after they forced themselves onto the contested land but in vain.

In response, the DPC instead wrote a letter directing the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to investigate the case.

On August 14, the Kira Divisional police commander asked the Divisional CIID officer to take up the complaints filed by the family of Mr Nabbamba for better management.

According to the letter, the family reported a number of cases to Buwaate Police Post but without help.

The letter followed a request by Mr Nabbamba and his children to the DPC to halt the ongoing developments on the contested land pending determination of the case in court.

Mr Nabbamba and family have petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Col Edith Nakalema, accusing the police of facilitating the eviction contrary to the Covid-19 lockdown measures and presidential directives.

Kampala Metropolitan deputy spokesperson Luke Oweyesigire yesterday said he could not confirm the incident but noted that evictions are only done on instructions of court.