UGANDA, Wakiso | Real Muloodi News | In a chilling turn of events, tenants on the contested 1,044-acre land in Wakiso District, known as Busamba, are living in fear following the delivery of anonymous death threats.
The threat, accompanied by machetes, was distributed to fifteen residents across the villages of Busamba, Kinyika-Gayaza, and Ngondwe-Kanziro.
The ominous letters warn them to brace themselves for impending danger, urging compliance with the assistant RDC’s directive regarding land demarcation by surveyor Berna Nakato.
The Luganda-written letters, signed off with the word ‘Bijambiya,’ ominously state, “This is a serious warning to these individuals below and all others who have refused to heed the directive of the assistant RDC concerning the ownership of this land. We have started by warning to let you know that anytime from now, we are coming for you.”
The named individuals facing these threats include Kizza Jacob, Joan Namayanja, Venanti Nakabare, Justine Nambi, Heseke, Godfrey Mayere, Peter Ganjala, Joachim Kibabu, Mukansila, Erosittu Kyajamani, and Mathias Mulumba, a lawyer entangled in one of the conflicting family factions.
This alarming development unfolds in the wake of a highly contested partial State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) report on the disputed land.
The report, based on one title presented by a conflicting family faction, legitimised the presence of land surveyor Berna Nakato, who has resumed forceful demarcation.
The Busamba land dispute originated from a conflict within the Gabudyeri Lubajja family in December last year, expanding to involve over 5,000 residents who have peacefully occupied the land for years.
Grandchildren Semitala and Ssegantebuka, descendants of the late Lubajja, are embroiled in a legal battle with family members led by Josephine Mpamulungi and Teddy Namusoke.
The accusations include fraudulently obtaining letters of administration, and parceling part of the land to Nakato without informing the existing Bibanja holders.
The situation escalated when Nakato, originally a surveyor, asserted ownership of 200 acres, threatening eviction. Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba’s intervention led to a SHACU investigation, culminating in the current turmoil.
Amidst rising tensions, residents are appealing to President Museveni for intervention, fearing for their lives. The affected individuals, including Kibabu, report sleepless nights, with fears that the situation might escalate into violence.
Despite reporting the death threats and letters to the police, no concrete action has been taken. The SHACU report, initially aimed at resolving the dispute, appears to have exacerbated the situation, granting Nakato the impetus to resume forceful demarcation.
Residents like Mulumba, who received warnings, emphasise the urgent need for government protection. The prevailing fear is palpable, with Nakato allegedly imposing deadlines and monetary penalties for those unwilling to register with her.
As the legal battle continues, the registrar of Makindye Family Division Court has set December 12 as the date for a ruling on the application seeking to add Nakato and others to the main Civil Suit.
The contested land’s original Block 53 Plot 15 has been subdivided, adding complexity to an already convoluted dispute.
Efforts to obtain comments from Nakato or her legal representatives were unsuccessful, leaving residents in a precarious position as they await the court’s decision.
The Busamba land saga remains a fraught and precarious situation, with the well-being of residents hanging in the balance.
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