Army in Entebbe land row
Mar 16, 2009
A ROW has erupted between the UPDF and the residents of Kitala village, on Entebbe road over a piece of land.
By Moses Mulondo
A ROW has erupted between the UPDF and the residents of Kitala village, on Entebbe road over a piece of land.
The army directed some residents to vacate the land, but the residents said the army did not own the land.
The Entebbe Air-force barracks commander, Capt. Jim Owesigire said: “When we shifted the military political school to Kyankwanzi people occupied the land illegally.â€
He said the army had documents from the Uganda Land Commission authorising them to manage and protect the land from encroachers.
The resident district commissioner, Sarah Bananuka, said: “The Catholic Church also has a land title, while others are bibanja holders.â€
She said confusion was caused by the lands commission, which issued two different directives.
Bananuka said the commission chairman, Mayanja Nkangi, authorised the army to protect the land from encroachers,while the secretary gave authority to Katabi sub-county to takeover the land.
Namara Kamara, a resident said she acquired a lease from the lands ministry. “Some soldiers have threatened to kill me if I do not abandon the plot,†she said.
Police officers, led by Cpl Julius Atego, last week arrested some soldiers and took them to Entebbe Police station, but the CID officer said the matter would be handled by the army.
A 67-year-old resident, Beatrice Nankabirwa, said: “I have occupied this land for over 40 years. The soldiers beat me up with my 25-year-old son and destroyed the house.â€
A ROW has erupted between the UPDF and the residents of Kitala village, on Entebbe road over a piece of land.
The army directed some residents to vacate the land, but the residents said the army did not own the land.
The Entebbe Air-force barracks commander, Capt. Jim Owesigire said: “When we shifted the military political school to Kyankwanzi people occupied the land illegally.â€
He said the army had documents from the Uganda Land Commission authorising them to manage and protect the land from encroachers.
The resident district commissioner, Sarah Bananuka, said: “The Catholic Church also has a land title, while others are bibanja holders.â€
She said confusion was caused by the lands commission, which issued two different directives.
Bananuka said the commission chairman, Mayanja Nkangi, authorised the army to protect the land from encroachers,while the secretary gave authority to Katabi sub-county to takeover the land.
Namara Kamara, a resident said she acquired a lease from the lands ministry. “Some soldiers have threatened to kill me if I do not abandon the plot,†she said.
Police officers, led by Cpl Julius Atego, last week arrested some soldiers and took them to Entebbe Police station, but the CID officer said the matter would be handled by the army.
A 67-year-old resident, Beatrice Nankabirwa, said: “I have occupied this land for over 40 years. The soldiers beat me up with my 25-year-old son and destroyed the house.â€