In yet another horrifying story, a helpless retired University Lecturer has sought the intervention of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) Commander, General Muhoozi Keinerugaba over an errant Army officer he accuses of forcefully occupying his farmland and encouraging other people to occupy parts of the same.
Dr. Ssengooba Kasule, a retired Lecturer at Kyambogo University alleges that Mr Samula Philly, who boasts to be a General in the Special Forces of the UPDF, shockingly raided his farm recently and fenced part of it, spraying its grass with dangerous chemicals that led to the death of animals.
The land, which measures 198 hectares is located in two separate villages of Kanoni and Luteebe in Lwanda sub county, Rakai district.
Ssengooba also claims that Samula also mobilised other members of the community to besiege patches of the land, destroying property and livelihoods in the process.
He says that he acquired the same land from the government for exclusively grazing purposes in 2002. During the process, it was established beyond doubt by the Lands officials that the land had no occupants at the time. He was however surprised when a gang of people came claiming to own the same.
Ssengooba says he is disturbed by the occurrences since his most productive years are long behind him and “it is saddening that all my sweat from the hard work of twenty years is at the blink of wastage at the hands of someone who claims to be above the law.”
“I am, therefore, appealing to the CDF, General Muhoozi to come to my rescue and call this errant officer to order. I have known this regime for effectively controlling and managing the discipline of its men and women in uniform. Having such incidents takes us back into the memories of the past regimes where soldiers would torment the public at will without anything being done.” Ssengooba laments.
Another person implicated in the land saga is a one Connelious Kateregga Bakubanja, who, surprisingly, is the father of the accused soldier. Bakubanja is accused of mobilising the community through meetings to coach them on how to cling onto the contested land by duping leaders in the guise of the President’s protection for Bibanja holders from illegal evictions.
Gaster Kasule, 86, who is part of the group that first acquired lease to the same land in much earlier claims that Bakubanja requested for grazing rights on the land in the early 2000s when he[Gaster Kasule] had rights to keep the land from Dr Ssengooba. He is, however shocked to learn that he has since turned around to claim ownership of the land.
When contacted on phone, Rakai Assistant Resident District Commissioner ( ARDC) Andrew Buluba confirmed that his office was in the know about the land issue, revealing that he had personally visited the site with the aim of resolving the impasse which has yet to yield fruit. He also confirmed the likelihood of encroachment on the land as Ssengooba claims.
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