Armed threats against courts may overshadow NRM achievements if unchecked

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OPINION

By A. Lubowa

Allow me draw your attention to the increasing use of gun threats against court officials in an attempt to settle land disputes in our country.

It has become a normal practice for any party locked in a land dispute to employ armed groups to stop the other contesting party from accessing the land or justice on the same.

Such armed groups are mostly hired from private security companies or individuals, but at times it's our own police or, at worst, the army.

Whereas that serves a few individuals who can afford to hire them, it angers the majority of peasants or genuine land claimants, and if such anger coincides with a political process like the one we are in, you never know where it can leave the support for NRM.

Just last week, the nation was served with some unpleasant news when a chief magistrate in Entebbe, Her Worship, Stella Maris Amabillis, had to defer a locus court session after realising a threat from armed private security guards who cocked guns before her.

She had reportedly wanted to find the very truth on the ground where Ms Marietta Agnes Lukwago and five other administrators of the estate of the late Mary Ritah Nasikombi sued Eleanor Maxine Ankrar, the administrator of the estate of the late Kkodiwo Esuman Ankrar, and the registrar of titles over ownership of the land in question.

But in a non-precedented move, the area police, which had been expected to deploy its force to allow the court process either out of connivance or lack of responsibility, had not given the guards to prevail.

The end result was nothing but an abortion of justice.

It reminded me of almost similar incident in 2019, or about, when an army sergeant blocked Justice Catherine Bamugemereire from accessing again a disputed land on Mutungo hill.

During that incident, the late Dr Muhammad Kasasa was locking horns with Prince David Wasajja and the late Ben Kiwanuka family over the late Sir Edward Muteesa's estate.

However, the president has been keen on gun control since assuming control, as seen in his creation of commissions, land desks like that of Minister Sam Mayanja, land protection police, etc.

But their operations at times get bypassed by the armed groupings of powerful individuals, private security companies, some of which are owned by powerful army officials or at times, such illegal security is sought from police or the army on individual arrangements.

The earlier the president and government institutions realise the plight of letting courts do its work without such threats, the better for our country.

A. Lubowa, Kampala