Buliisa land wrangle deepens

Jun 18, 2007

TENSION reigned in Buliisa district yesterday when hundreds of Bagungu farmers invaded the disputed piece of land protesting a court order stopping the eviction of herdsmen from the area.

By Fred Kayizzi

TENSION reigned in Buliisa district yesterday when hundreds of Bagungu farmers invaded the disputed piece of land protesting a court order stopping the eviction of herdsmen from the area.

Heavily armed anti-riot Police rushed to Bugana and Waiga villages to prevent clashes, as the enraged farmers wanted to “secure the land for cotton growing.”

Armed with pangas and hoes, the farmers were led by the Buliisa MP, Stephen Birahwa.

A terrified group of herdsmen, mostly women and children, kept a distance as the enthusiastic farmers cleared the land.

Several groups of Bagungu farmers were ferried on trucks from Masindi and Hoima districts to protest the eviction of the herdsmen.

The Police spokesman Asan Kasingye, said the Bagungu farmers, who had become rowdy, were dispersed.

The High Court registrar, Flavia Anglin, on Friday issued a temporary order stopping the eviction of over 105 herdsmen.

This followed an application by Fred Mukasa-Lugalambi, a lawyer representing the pastoralists.

The Government last week provided five square miles of land in Kyankwanzi, Kiboga district to resettle over 200 families of the herdsmen.

The decision came after the herdsmen, who own over 12,000 head of cattle, clashed with the Bagungu – the indigenous people of Buliisa over ownership of land.

Over ten 10 people, including Birahwa, were injured in the clashes.

As a result, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the lands state minister, Kasirivu Atwooki and the Intelligence Services Coordinator, Gen. David Tinyefuza, to intervene in the matter.

The herdsmen were expected to arrive in Kyankwanzi yesterday.

A seven-man committee was last week set up to receive the herdsmen.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});