Hundreds of Kapapi evictees wait High Court’s interim injunction order

HOIMA - Over 1000 Residents of Kapapi sub-county in Hoima district have failed to secure an interim court injunction order for their pending eviction due to the absence of a High Court registrar.

On Friday morning, over 400 residents who are part of the 1000 people moved over 30km from Kapapi sub-county stormed Hoima Court premises in Hoima to Kijungu cell, Hoima City, seeking court to deliver an interim injunction order to protect them from fresh eviction.

In their Lawsuit, the residents who were resettled back on their Bibajja by lands state minister Dr. Sam Mayanja in 2025, wanted court to issue an interim court injunction, stopping the alleged land grabbers from re-evicting them.

Evicted from their Bibajja in 2023, the group led by their lawyers Peter Arinaitwe and CO-Advocates, on April 13, 2026, filed a case against TotalEnergies E&P Uganda, Attorney General of the Government of Uganda and Hoima district resident commissioner Rogers Mbabazi, regarding their eviction and human rights violations.

The group also wants the court to declare that the Attorney General is vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of all other public officers and UPDF officers who participated in their eviction from their Bibajja.

The lawsuit also seeks court to declare that the failures by state authorities to investigate, prosecute, arrest, and prevent the recurrence of grave offence that the community reported since 2023, were a violation of people’s rights to equal protection of the law, dignity, security of a person and effective remedy.

However, their hopes were cut short after an interim injunction order was not delivered due to the absence of Hoima High Court Assistant Registrar Emmanuel Bamwiite.

Speaking to residents at Hoima court premises, after a closed-door meeting between the lawyers and Assistant Registrar Bamwiite, Counsel Peter Arinaitwe said that the registrar was unable to deliver the ruling because he was unwell.

Arinaitwe told the residents that during their meeting, the registrar promised that he was going to deliver the ruling through email.

However, counsel Arinaitwe expressed concern over the continued frustration by court, adding that on Monday this week, court was supposed to deliver the ruling, but their application was postponed to Friday, May 8, 2026.

Hoima RDC Rodger Mbabazi said that it was unfair to include him of his office on the case file, since his office has been at the forefront in protecting the evictees' rights.

However, he said that he was ready to respond to the court appropriately, adding that the RDC'S office does not get involved in acts that violate human rights.

When contacted for a comment, Total Energies’ Public Relations Officer, Christopher Ocowun, declined to comment on the issue, saying that the company lawyers had not issued any statement over the matter.