Magistrate holds court session on farm

Oct 01, 2016

We are here because we want to witness what these parties are saying

The Grade 1 magistrate Irene Namaye (extreme right) presiding over a court session in Kiduduma village. Photos Luke Kagiri 

As land wrangles continue to rise in Mubende district and other parts of the country, the magistrate's court in Mubende on Friday held a separate session on a farm under dispute.

In the case, Erisa Kabanda a resident of Kiduduma village in Kitumbi Sub county Mubende district sued a one God Kaliisa and two others for trespassing on his land.

Kabanda claimed that Kaliisa and his colleague were trying to force him away and had even started destroying his crops and animals on the land.

Though the hearing of the case started a few months back, court decided that it should hold a special session on the disputed land.

"We are here because we want to witness what these parties are saying. One may say something and it's not true but when we come here, it helps us to further prove their claims. This is court and you should respect it. The only difference is that here we are in the farm and we always sit in the chambers-buildings," grade 1 magistrate Irene Namaye said as the court session started.

 

The magistrate told both parties to take her around the land and show her whatever would prove ownership.

Erisa Kabanda showed her around the boundaries. He showed to the magistrate the dam that he dug for his cows and said he was recently chased away by Kaliisa, who is now using it for his cows.

As court was in session, Kaliisa's cows kept on drinking water at the dam. Police officers providing security ordered some people to chase them away.

Kaliisa in his testimony claimed to have dug the dam and it was on land that belonged to him.

The land boundaries of barbed wires had been recently destroyed. Kabanda told court that Kaliisa had removed the boundaries but Kaliisa denied the accusation saying that it was police which had cut the barbed wires.

 

The magistrate set the 25th of October as the day for the ruling.

Last week, people attending a ‘Kimeeza' organized by the office of the prime minister told the minister of general duties in the office of the prime minister, Mary Karooro Okurut that land wrangles were too much in the district and were hindering development.

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