By Raymond Baguma
and Robert Atuhairwe

THE coordinator of intelligence services, Gen. David Tinyefuza, has said the High Court Order blocking him from evicting herdsman from Buliisa is of no consequence.

He argued that the order had come after the evictions were carried out successfully.

“I do not disobey the court. They gave me the order yesterday (Wednesday) not to evict people. But I’m not evicting anybody now!” Tinyefunza said yesterday.

“The people went a long time ago,” he added.

On Wednesday, the court issued an interim order blocking Tinyefuza, Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura and the Attorney General from evicting the herdsmen (Balaalo).

A total of 640 families with about 20,000 head of cattle were evicted from Buliisa early this week.

But Masindi High Court deputy registrar Margaret Mutonyi said the herdsmen should not be evicted until March 30 when the court hears the case.

The order “may be extended for a just cause”, she said.

The Balaalo and Bagungu have been involved in several clashes over land.

The Bagungu accused the cattle-keepers of encroaching on their land and grazing their animals in their gardens.

The Bagungu sued the Balaalo and asked court to have them evicted. The Bagungu won the case, but the Balaalo appealed.

Over 150 pastoralists represented by Grace Bororoza, Godfrey Rusogora and Wilson Mwesigye sought a court order to bar the Government from evicting them from Buliisa.

Meanwhile, Tinyefuza yesterday handed over the land from where the Balaalo were evicted to the Bagungu.

This was during a brief ceremony at Waiga Primary School in Buliisa.

Present at the handover was Buliisa district chairman Fred Lukumu, Bunyoro Kingdom’s premier Eng. Yabezi Kiiza and the RDC, Florence Beyunga.

Tinyefuza defended the Government’s decision to evict the heardsmen, saying it had not removed the rightful owners of the land, but those who acquired it illegally.

He added that contrary to reports, no herdsman was harassed during the eviction exercise and there wasn’t a single gunshot fired.

Tinyefuza explained that a safe passage was created for the pastoralists with resting areas and drinking points for the animals.

“We did our best to make sure that everybody was protected,” he said.

Tinyefuza added that security agencies would remain stationed in the area to ensure that the evictees do not return.