Police orders Kategaya widows off disputed farm

By Emmanuel Luganda

Police have deployed at the farm of the late First Deputy Prime Minister Eriya Kategaya in Lyantonde District following conflict over ownership of the property between his two wives.

On Thursday, police was called in to restore calm at the farm which located in Kirebe B Village in Nsiika, Mpumudde Sub-county, following alleged theft of 75 cows, some of which were intercepted by police in Kampala en route to a city abattoir.

The cows had been reportedly picked from the piece of land in Lyantonde on orders of the first wife, Joan Besimire Kategaya.

The minister left behind two wives – Joan Besimire, who is the officially married wife, and the second wife Diana Kirungi.

The two are now said to be battling for ownership of his property on the four-square mile estate.

Kategaya also had another farm in Ntungamo district which was given to Joan Besimire.

Director of Police Operations, Grace Turyagumanawe, ordered the two warring widows to vacate the farm for police to secure it and avert further theft of cattle.

He said that since Kategaya’s death, there has been disappearance of cows, goats and other property from the farm where the second wife, Diana Kirungi, had been staying.

Turyagumanawe said a team of officers led by the Commissioner of Police for Land Protection Unit, Fred Enanga, had been assigned to investigate the alleged theft of property from the farm.

He said the police were also investigating the alleged fraud and forgeries in the deceased’s will.

Turyagumanawe advised the two warring parties to stay calm and wait for police to resolve the matter.