Pr Kiganda loses church land case 

BY betty ndagire                                      

kampala. Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has dismissed the case in which Pastor David Kiganda accused a businessman of encroaching on his ministry land in Mengo-Kisenyi, a Kampala suburb.
Bishop Kiganda, the founder of Christianity Focus Ministries, had sought court intervention to order Mr John Katonya to demolish all his eight buildings which he claims encroached on the church land. 
Mr Katonya was accused of trespassing on church land.
Mr Simon Kalende, the defence lawyer, asked the magistrate to dismiss the case against his client, saying it was brought before the wrong court.

Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis concurred with the defence team that the matter was filed as a criminal case yet it is a civil dispute. Ms Amabilis ruled that the Christianity Focus Ministries is like a company and thus cannot be intimidated or insulted because it has no human feelings or emotions.
“Court cannot say that the feelings of the director are connected to the company. The criminal trespass charge is hereby dismissed against Mr Katonya,” Ms Amabilis ruled.

She advised Mr Katonya to seek refund of his bail money.
Bishop Kiganda had testified in court that he learnt of Mr Katonya’s encroachment in 2016 when the Local Council chairman of Kisenyi-Kiganda Zone introduced him as the church’s new neighbour after he had purchased a piece of land adjacent to the church.
He said the land wrangles started in 2018 when Mr Katonya was shifting an electricity pole to Christianity Focus Centre land but the church administrators blocked him.