Businessman grabbed my land, says pastor

Pastor Daniel Banja Kibalama and his wife, Ms Daphine Banja, of Bulenga Healing Centre Church in Wakiso have accused businessman John Kalemba of grabbing their land in the district. 
Mr Kalembe, the proprietor of Das Barkliner Hotel-Bulenga, allegedly grabbed land measuring 9.5 decimals (0.094 acres).

The couple who have since petitioned the President, through the office of his senior assistant on special duties, Ms Phionah Barungi, said Mr Kalemba has erected illegal buildings on their land.
“We purchased this land from our cousin James Ssembayita in November 2020 but since it had tenants (bibanja occupants) on it, we did not want to chase them and so we left them to stay there after meeting them and introducing ourselves to them officially as the new owners,” Ms Banja told this publication last Thursday.

However,  Mr Kalemba said he acquired the land legally.
The land under dispute is located in Bulenga-Kikaya Zone Block 364 Plot 395, with a title registered on April 13, 2023 in the names of Daniel Banja Kibalama and Daphine Banja and located in between Mr Kalemba’s hotel and the couple’s newly built home.

How it allegedly happened
According to Ms Banja, Mr Kalemba hired the said land from their bonafide occupants Grace Mutyaba and Isaac Ssemakula for five years at Shs10 million per year.

An agreement purportedly  signed by the two parties shows that Mr Kalemba hired seven decimals of and that he would vacate after five years since the agreement is non-renewable.
Both the hirers and majority of the witnesses did not pick our calls to comment.  

Upon securing the said agreement, Ms Banja said Mr Kalemba approached them and expressed his interests of developing the land, which they opposed.
“My husband was still in the US and we told Kalemba that our plans on that land is to construct a road that leads to our newly built home on one of our other plots in the nearby area. He (Kalemba) since has a hotel nearby welcomed the idea and we thought we are dealing with an honest man until new developments started,” she added.

“He [Mr Kalembe] claims to be working for Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba [the First Son] and the MK [Muhoozi Kainerugaba] movement. Dear MK rein in on your man. I am a poor man who got all my fortunes through toiling in the US...Why would someone come through your name to steal my land,”Pastor Kibalama  said.

The National Mobiliser of the MK Movement, Mr Balaam Barugahara, said: “Our leader Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba does not have land in Bulenga and even if he wants to acquire one, he will just buy. In our records we have never worked with anyone called Kalemba. All our representatives are known so that one is a masquerader who should not be believed. For any details, contact our spokesperson.” 

Last Friday, Pastor Kibalama’s siblings Fred Mugwanya and Robinah Lubega, told journalists that the family legally sold land to Mr Kalemba. 
But Pastor Kibalama last week said: “We have a family conflict over the large piece of land [belonging to his late father], which is even in court but it is not part of this land he is grabbing.” 
Mr Kalemba, by telephone last Thursday,  said: “The so-called pastor should tell the people whether they have ever paid for that land...I bought land genuinely from the owners of the land.”

“Those people [pastor and his family] have been fighting themselves for more than 23 years, I have just been there for two years,” he added.
In April, Mr Kalemba was arrested  after  he was accused of conniving with Ruth Nakityo Kibalama, a widow,  and her other  family members to take part of land belonging  to Pastor  Kibalama’s  late father [Eriazali Kibalama Kizza]