How residents disarmed, beat up UPDF soldiers in land row

On Monday, a video clip showing a group of civilians beating and disarming four UPDF officers in uniform in Kayunga District went viral on social media, something that raised concern in security circles.

In a movie-like two-minute video clip, the civilians are seen trying to grab guns from the soldiers while ordering them (UPDF officers) to sit down.

At one point, one of the residents is heard ordering for the burning of the two motorcycles on which the soldiers rode to the contested land.

Despite the humiliation, the soldiers kept calm and the scuffle ended without anyone being harmed.

Following the fracas, Major Charles Kabona, the UPDF 1 Infantry Division spokesperson, issued a statement, condemning the attack on soldiers by civilians.

“As the soldiers were conducting their routine patrols in the area, they were attacked by one of the fighting groups,” he said.
 “I would like to commend our soldiers for portraying the highest degree of professionalism and refraining from using maximum force despite the humiliation they went through. This could have turned fatal,” Maj Kabona said in a statement.

He added that UPDF and Uganda Police are investigating the matter so that the perpetrators can be identified and brought to book. 

The Monday afternoon brawl took place in Kasokwe village, Galilaaya Sub- County, Kayunga District on a one- square mile piece of land, for which some family members of the late Nathan Mpagi (father to the  Ssabanyala) and the Ssabanyala, Maj Baker Kimeze are involved in a bitter wrangle.

A section of Ssabanyala’s siblings allege that the Ssabanyala “fraudulently” sold the land to GM sugar for sugar growing in 2018.
But the Ssabanyala,  through his kingdom premier, Mr Martin Ssenkatuuka, dismissed the allegations labelled against him by his siblings, explaining that his late father Mpagi and late Adam Kikonyogo who were friends, both owned land which was adjacent to each other.

“Because my father was Kikonyogo’s late friend, my family members used to graze cattle on Kikonyogo’s land and even grow crops without any hindrance. And even when Kikonyogo died, we continued using his land with my siblings,” the Ssabanyala explained.

Mr James Murenzi, a manager at GM Sugar, said they had bought the land at a sum and from a landlord he didn’t disclose. He also said the harassed UPDF soldiers had been deployed to guard GM properties.

Ms Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa regional police spokesperson, said, no arrests had so far been made.

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Mr Joel Kayiira, the Galilaaya sub- county district councilor said land wrangles had escalated in the area since the introduction of sugar cane growing.