Serere RDC vows to defy court eviction directive

The Resident District Commissioner of Serere has vowed to block an impending eviction of families on a contested piece of land in Kamod Parish, Kasilo County.

This move follows a protracted court battle that was ruled against Serere District’s local government.

Ms Harriet Nakamya said the squatters need to be listened to and deserve an appeal on the ruling.

While addressing the squatters last week, she said she would not allow Mr Moses Omiat, the plaintiff, to evict them.

“I will not allow Omiat to evict any person even though there is a court order,” she said, adding that the occupants have lived on the contested land for a long time.

The land also houses a cattle market.

In a June 15 ruling, the resident judge of Soroti High Court, Henry Adonyo, declared Mr Moses Omiat the rightful owner of the150 acres of land that Serere District local government had also claimed.

Justice Adonyo also slapped fines of Shs320m on Serere District local government in legal costs and for the destruction of trees on the land.

Background

Mr Omiat dragged Serere District’s local government, and the occupants to court in 2016, accusing them of trespass and destruction of property on his ancestral land.

Mr Omiat, who was represented in the case by Mr Julius Ojok of Ojok advocates, Mr Emmanuel Orono of Byamugisha Lubega Ochieng & Co. Advocates, and Mr Walter Ladwa of Oneka Ladwa & Co. Advocates, told Daily Monitor that the RDC should respect the court order.

“This is a matter that was clearly disposed of by the courts of law in my favour, the locus was visited and all evidence adduced informed the decision of court,” Mr Omiat said.

He said he inherited the land from his grandfather, George William Amolo.

We were not able to get a comment from Serere District local government by press time yesterday.