UGANDA, Namanve | Real Muloodi News | City businessman, Godfrey Kirumira, has sued senior police officers for allegedly disobeying court orders in a land dispute involving a tenant in Namanve Industrial Park.
The officers include Anatoli Katungwesi, the Kampala East Regional Police Commander, and Erasmus Twaruhukwa, an Assistant Inspector General of Police and police legal adviser.
Kirumira claims that on Thursday, 2nd February 2023, the officers stopped him and his employees from accessing the disputed land and removed a motor vehicle despite a court order.
Dispute Background
The disputed land is a 46-acre piece of land in Namanve Industrial Park, and Kirumira has been embroiled in a legal battle with Minaz Karmali, Mukwano’s brother, over its ownership.
Kirumira claims to be the registered proprietor of the kibanja (land), but the government and a local investor allege that he acquired it illegally.
According to court documents, the transfer of Plot 393 on Block 113 in Namanve Industrial Park was discovered by Prof Karmali Minaz and the government when Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) expressed interest in buying part of the land and leasing it to Chinese investors for industrial development.
Mr Kirumira, however, contends that he bought the land from Yokana Galikwoleka Mukasa in October 2017.
Court Order
On Wednesday, February 15 2023, Justice David Batema visited the disputed land and established that Kirumira was in physical possession of it.
The judge issued an interim order, among others, stopping other people from blocking the businessman, his employees and his agents from accessing the land.
Kirumira now seeks USh500m in compensation from the police officers and for them to be committed to civil prison for disobedience of court orders.
However, Senior State Attorney, Mark Muwonge argues that the police got a surveyor to open the boundaries of the land to establish which plot the judge was referring to in the court order.
Namanve Industrial Park
The Namanve Industrial Park sits on 2,209 acres of land and has over 100 factories and industries.
The industrial park has attracted both local and foreign investments and is a significant source of employment for the surrounding communities.
The dispute over the ownership of the Namanve land remains unresolved.
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