The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kamuli, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Moses Kalangwa, the Kayunga district National Resistance Movement-NRM chairperson is being accused by residents of Nansololo B village in Namasagali sub county in Kamuli district for releasing his cattle to graze in their gardens. Kalangwa owns about 300-acres of land in the same village.
However, residents say that ever since he stocked cattle on his farm in 2014, he declined to fence it off living the animals to freely graze in their gardens.
According to the residents, the latest incidents occurred on Monday last week and Tuesday night where the cows destroyed several acres of their crops.
This prompted the residents to impound over 200 heads of cattle and held them at Kavule primary school playground insisting that Kalangwa compensates them for the damage.
Betty Tumwebaze, one of the residents says that for the past seven years, Kalangwa has been releasing his cattle into their gardens, they have approached political leaders to engage him but none of them seems to care.
Margarita Kanya, another resident says that her three-acre garden comprising cassava and millet was completely destroyed by the cows shuttering her livelihood.
Simon Kigomo, another resident says that prior to this incident, the affected individuals have been engaging Kalangwa concerning compensation but he undermines their claims and often uses police and the army to silence them.
Bernard Mugweri, the Namasagali sub-county LC III chairperson says that they passed a bylaw which empowered residents to impound all animals found grazing illegally on their land.
Kalangwa confirmed to URN that he owns cattle farms in different villages within Namasagali sub county.
He has promised to assess the extent of the damage which they might have caused to the hosting communities for appropriate action.
The Busoga North police spokesperson Michael Kasadha has denied claims that security operatives connive with Kalangwa to torture innocent civilians.
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