Tear gas, live bullets at Butaleja school land row

LAND CONFLICTS

BUTALEJA - Security has been beefed up at Bukedi College Kachonga (BCK) in Butaleja district to avert possible destruction of property that could occur as the community battles alleged hired gang in support of a suspected land grabber claiming ownership of 27 acres of the School farmland.

The gang which was allegedly hired by a grandson of late Mzee Tito Mudanye is reported to have attacked the school and demolished some structures.

Mudanye, in the early 30s, gave chunks of land to government to construct a community school but recently the grandsons came up and started claiming ownership of the land which their grandfather donated to government and made agreements.

It's claimed that family members led by John Were grabbed part of the school land on the east wing of the school and stealthily planted stone marks without consent from the school administration and the governing body.

Last year, Old boys of Bukedi College Kachonga, led by the commissioner of education, planning and policy analysis in the ministry of education Fredrick Matyama, made an abrupt tour of the school land and discovered that people had encroached on it, surveyed part of it and planted stone marks.

This did not go well with old boys that reported the case to police and concerned authorities but little was done as the accused family members allegedly vowed to shade blood in protection of what they claimed was their land.

The old boys returned to the school towards the end of the years and toured the school land and also inspected the structures at the school but again found the stones were still standing which angered them and they forcefully uprooted them.

Last week, a gang allegedly hired by John Were, armed with Pangas, stones and other dangerous weapons stormed the school premises threatening students. Its alleged that they attempted to set the facility blaze.

Police was called and arrived on time firing teargas and live bullets to disperse the gangs. John Were was arrested, taken to court and remanded to Prison charged with inciting violence and attempting to destroy a government facility.

According to chairperson of BCK old boys, Paul Walekwa, the RPC ordered for a security beef-up after another policeman in full uniform, armed with guns, claiming to be the officer-in-charge of Namutumba police station stormed the school and threatened to shoot the police constable that had been deployed to man the schools' security.

"After that incident we called the RPC and reported the case and in the same week we hired tractor to till 27acres of land to plant sunflower on school land but hooligans stormed, beat up the driver of the tractor and attempted to set it blaze," Walekwa said

"The communities also organized themselves and confronted the group and started fighting until police was again called in and fired teargas and live bullets until the situation was calmed down and this is when RPC ordered for security beef up at the facility," He added.

Butaleja district LC5 Chairperson Richard Waya vowed to deal with whoever will attempt to grab BCK land.

Bukedi Regional police commander Julius Tusingwire confirmed the incidences and said that beefed up security is meant to protect the school property and students that may be affected during the battled between the two groups.

Butaleja Resident District Commissioner Jimmy Segawa said that as the head of security in the district they have been able to intervene, adding that the family of Mzee Mudanye did not follow the right procedure and resorted to using means that may cause insecurity in the district.

Efforts to get a comment from the grand sons of Mzee Mudanye were futile as one of the grandsons refused to comment on the issue and other sons are out of the district.