Six remanded over destruction of house on prime Ntinda plot
Jan 09, 2024
In a statement released on Monday, SHACU noted that the family home had earlier been illegally demolished without a court order after a similar attack by people acting on the instructions of one Yusuf Ssemakula on December 26, 2022.
The suspects: Julius Lukwago, Hussien Kato, Peter Okello, Umar Katerega, Hussein Ochen, and Godfrey Bahati, were remanded until February 1, 2024.
Charles Etukuri
Senior Writer @New Vision
_______________________________ Destroyed House
Six suspects arrested on Friday, January 5, 2024, in connection with the destruction of a private home in Ntinda, Kampala, have been remanded to Luzira Prison.
This was after the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) working with Kira Road Police Station arraigned the six suspects before the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Chief Magistrate's Court on charges of aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The suspects: Julius Lukwago, Hussien Kato, Peter Okello, Umar Katerega, Hussein Ochen, and Godfrey Bahati, were remanded until February 1, 2024.
The six suspects were arrested on Friday night after they, without any court orders, forcibly accessed the partially demolished family home of the late Eng. Johnson Eliba Orech armed with machetes and violently attacked and robbed one of the family members of his phone and money.
In a statement released on Monday, SHACU noted that the family home had earlier been illegally demolished without a court order after a similar attack by people acting on the instructions of one Yusuf Ssemakula on December 26, 2022. The matter was being investigated by SHACU the status quo was to be maintained pending the conclusion of court cases as to the ownership of the property.
“Officers at Kira Police Station were able to swiftly respond to a distress call made by another family member and apprehend the six suspects who indicated to the Police that they had also been sent by Ssemakula, who is sighted in several similar cases of illegal evictions reported to the Unit.
This is not the first time Semakula is cited in land wrangles. In September last year, Crime Intelligence arrested Ssemakula and had him arraigned before the Kira Chief Magistrates Court on charges of malicious property damage.
The state alleged that between December 14, 2022, and December 28, 2022, at Buloli Namugongo- Kira division, Wakiso district, the accused maliciously destroyed property belonging to 99-year-old Helena Namazzi.
Ssemakula was remanded until 14/11/2023. It remains unclear how he was released.
In December 2022, lands minister Judith Nabakooba stopped the eviction of bonafide land occupants by landlords and their agents during the Christmas and New Year festive season.
In her communication, Nabakooba revealed that all Resident District Commissioners and District Security Committees have been informed that between 23rd Dec 2022, and 6th Jan 2023, all eviction orders are on hold.
The Minister argued that unlawful people usually use this window as government offices are closed to harass tenants.
Last month, Nabakooba also warned against such evictions.
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