Lands Minister reinstates 600 people evicted from their land

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The State Minister for Lands, Parsis Namuganza has reinstated over 600 people to their land in Gomba district, six months after their forceful eviction.

The affected families were forcedly evicted from their land in Nkwale, Kitemu and Koome villages in Kanoni town council by Peter Wasswa in May this year.

He deployed private security guards on the contested land measuring 600 acres to prevent the residents from accessing the land, property and gardens.

However, in a security meeting held on Monday, Namuganza directed the evicted people to return to their land.     She also directed the Gomba district police commander, Alphonse Musoni to provide security to the affected residents.

Namuganza also instructed Musoni to take charge of the areas, which are under the control of private security guards deployed by Wasswa.

During the meeting, Charles Kiwanuka Kigggundu, the LC I chairperson of Nkwale village told the minister that only less than 200 of the 600 residents from his village remained after the eviction.

Kigggundu said he also lost land during the eviction.

Namuganza equated the deployment of private security guards on the three villages as failure of government to take care of the lives and property of its people. She also directed police to stop arresting people in the affected villages without thorough investigations.

On the deployment of private security guards on the contested land, Musoni said the deployment was sanctioned by the Gomba District Security Committee.

The Gomba LC V chairperson, Bavekuno Mafumu shifted blame to the office of the Resident District Commissioner, which he says allowed Wasswa to open the boundaries of the contested land without involving the evicted residents.

Wasswa didn’t show up for the meeting despite being inviting by the minister.

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