Over 5,000 settled as govt buys Gen. Aronda’s Kyankwanzi land

KYANKWANZI - The Government has purchased land owned by the family of the late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima in 10 villages across Kyankwanzi district to permanently settle over 5,000 sitting tenants, commonly known as bibanja holders.

Lands minister Judith Nabakooba revealed on Wednesday (April 16) that the Government had fully compensated the family to enable the tenants to legally occupy their bibanja (plots of land).

The land, estimated at five square miles, spans 10 villages: Kiyuuni Central, Kyerere East, Kyerere North, Kyamulalama, Sseeta, Nankandula, Butikkiro, Kyakibenje, Dagaza and Birama. It is located on Singo Block 710, Plot 19, in Gayaza sub-county and has for years been the centre of violent conflict between the Aronda family and residents.

Gen. Aronda passed away on September 12, 2015, at the age of 56, while serving as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Nabakooba announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the late minister’s family had been fully paid for the land.

“I am pleased to report that the family of our late General Aronda have also been fully compensated, providing more land for the wananchi (ordinary citizens),” she posted, without disclosing the payment amount.

Gen. Aronda’s widow, Linda Aronda, has on multiple occasions been investigated by police over allegations that her workers forcibly evicted residents from the disputed land.

Reports indicate that the evictions began on February 13, 2022, during which coffee plantations, food crops and trees were destroyed as graders worked day and night to clear the land.

Left with no means of survival, many affected residents appealed to the Government for intervention. This prompted Nabakooba to visit the area on September 8, 2022, where she assured residents that no one would disturb their peace again, as their grievances were being addressed.

Prior to the visit, on March 20, 2022, Nabakooba had written to President Yoweri Museveni regarding the land matter.

“The better option is for the Government to buy the land for the squatters and the land owner, on her or his part, gets good money and does other enterprises that do not have similar controversies,” Museveni replied in a letter dated July 11, 2022.

Four days after her visit to Gayaza sub-county, Nabakooba wrote to Tom Magambo, Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), requesting an investigation into the ownership of the disputed land and alleged fraud.

In the letter—also addressed to the head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU)—Nabakooba instructed Magambo to submit a report within a month of receiving her request.

She also referred both the CID and SHACU to the presidential directive that the Government acquire the disputed land for the occupants through the Land Fund.

“We had commenced the process of implementing the directive. We did due diligence and indeed established that the land in question (Singo Block 720, Plot 19) belongs to Linda Nyakairima (widow of the late Aronda Nyakairima) by verifying the land titles. However, I received a petition in my office requesting the title be impeached on grounds that it was fraudulently obtained,” Nabakooba wrote.

“This letter therefore serves to ask you [to] investigate the alleged fraud and issue me a report within one month from the date of receipt of these instructions. Find enclosed a copy of the petition received in my office for your ease of reference. You are further advised to find and inform us of the status of all court cases mentioned in the enclosed petition,” she added.

She appealed to Magambo to “treat this matter urgently as your report will form a basis for us on how to advise the Government to best handle the matter”.

Widow denies allegations

When the allegations of continued evictions surfaced in October 2022, New Vision spoke to Linda’s lawyer, Innocent Okongo, who denied all the claims.

“I am not aware (of the attacks); what I am aware of is that we went to Mubende High Court and we, both parties, consented to maintaining the status quo until the case is over and they even signed themselves (the consent order),” he said.

Okongo also denied knowledge of the alleged continued forceful evictions.

“You know our people concoct stories to get sympathy. I don’t think it is true [because] people there are living in harmony,” he said.

However, he declined to comment on a case of malicious damage to property which was under investigation at Kyankwanzi Police Station at the time.