Govt orders private guards off community land in Rwampara

The Minister of Lands, Ms Judith Nabakooba (with yellow scurf), addresses residents of Rwampara District at the weekend. PHOTO/FELIX AINEBYOONA

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, has ordered private security off a 173-square kilometre piece of community land whose ownership is being contested by residents and a businessman.

Ms Nabakooba visited the land in Rugando Sub-county in Rwampara District at the weekend to arbitrate over the dispute, which arose when businessman Robert Rutebemberwa allegedly bought the land in 2019.

“It is unfortunate that I am here to solve a dispute yet I thought this was the most peaceful area. We have been hearing of land disputes elsewhere but not in this area,” Ms Nabakooba said.

Locals claim that the prime minister of the defunct Ankole Kingdom, the late Kesi Nganwa, gave them the land in the 1950s.

“We have seen many people being chased away from the land because you are voiceless. Some people think you do not have money, they have power, security but this time around, such things must stop. We must work to ensure that there is security of tenure because from what we are getting, a few people in the community are conniving with the rich to grab people’s land and this must stop,” Ms Nabakooba said.

She ordered an investigation into the matter.

 “I want land protection office to investigate these matters widely from 1950s up to date, and we want to know whether all the due processes were followed. If there will be an error somewhere, those who did it will be held accountable for their mistakes,”  Ms Nabakooba said.

She added:  “From today, the RDC (Resident District Commissioner) and DPC, (district police commander) private security guards should get out of this place. We need a neutral force that belongs to government to make sure that there is law and order since they are not serving individuals. Let people graze their animals from this land.”

Ms Nabakooba also accused the Mbarara regional land office of mismanaging the dispute.

“Our officer errored while giving out the land title because I was told that there were three caveats on the said land but he went ahead and issued out a land title,”  the minister said.

However, Mr Rutebemberwa claimed  he is the rightful owner of the land since he bought it after carrying out due diligence. 

“We bought it through the right procedures. We are now protecting our property from the thieves, those who want to graze from the land that does not belong to them. We need security to protect my property,” he said.

“We bought this area two years ago, we did not start fencing yesterday and the locals started destroying things which we are correcting. We have put three private security guards,” the businessman added.

Mr Vincent Ncwaguzi, a resident of Nyamatete Village in Rugando, said they have been deprived of their livelihood during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that even if schools are opened, they will not be able to take their children to school.

“This area has been helping us as youth. People are stopping us from getting on this land and we are being taken to the police for cutting barbed wire. We are requesting that you allow us to use the land until the matter is sorted,” Mr Ncwaguzi said.

The district Woman MP, Ms Molly Asiimwe, said after the investigations into the matter, the government will decide whether to compensate the businessman if right procedures were followed.