Summary:

• Over 1,000 people, previously evicted from Mandwiga Village in Kyangwali, have begun reclaiming disputed land after the government assured compensation to Nguse Ranchers Ltd directors, with the Land Fund facing criticism for potential misuse of taxpayer money.

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After enduring 13 years of eviction, over 1,000 individuals who were forcibly removed from Mandwiga Village in Butoole Parish, Kyangwali Sub-county, Kikuube District, have now begun to reclaim the contested land. This follows assurances from the government that the Directors of Nguse Ranchers Ltd, who orchestrated the eviction, have been duly compensated.

The disputed parcel spans approximately 860 hectares, from which residents were displaced in 2010. The proprietors of Nguse Ranchers Ltd, Minister for Public Service Mr. Muruli Mukasa, the late John Bahemuka (former Chairperson for Bugambe Sub-county), and Mr. James Byegarazo, have been engaged in a longstanding dispute over the land.

A year after the 2010 eviction, the affected individuals approached Masindi High Court, accusing Nguse Ranchers Ltd Directors of an illegal eviction. They also petitioned President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa and the then Speaker of Parliament in their pursuit of justice.

Last week, our reporter observed approximately 20 families resettling on the land for farming and habitation. These families are among the 136 complainants who lodged a case in the High Court. A document obtained by the reporter reveals that the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the residents, permitting them to reclaim their land.

According to a document dated August 24, 2020, from the Uganda Land Commission to the Chairperson of Nguse Ranchers Ltd, signed by Acting Secretary Mr. Benon Kigenyi, the Ministry acknowledged the receipt of the original land title certificate and two sets of transfer forms from the ranch’s landlords.

Mr. Apollo Nankunda, Chairman of the bonafide occupants at Nguse Ranch, claims they had purchased the land from the ranch’s directors between 2006 and 2008, only to be evicted in 2010. He alleges that Minister Mukasa, who was the Minister of Security at the time, influenced the entire eviction—a claim consistently disputed.

Mr. Nankunda asserts that the return of the evictees is predicated on the government’s full compensation of the land title holders through the Land Fund. Mr. Chrysostom Tumwesige, one of the returnees, expresses hope for a new beginning after the challenges faced during the period of landlessness.

Commending the government for settling the landlords, Mr. Robert Balimunsi, the Mandwiga Village Chairman, emphasizes the importance of ensuring the returning residents avoid encroaching on Bugoma Central Forest Reserve, a neighboring conservation area.

However, Mr. Francis Kazini, the Buhaguzi County Member of Parliament, urges vigilance to prevent encroachment on Bugoma Central Forest Reserve. While the Land Fund is acknowledged for safeguarding the rights of vulnerable individuals, it faces criticism for purportedly facilitating land grabbing through alleged fraudulent means by influential individuals seeking compensation at the expense of taxpayers.

Additional Reporting by Kazi Njema News