Vicente Ntegeka, one of the affected residents told Uganda Radio Network that Agaba has a title for land in the neighboring Kyabusagazi and Hanga villages but wants to use it to forcefully grab their land.
More than 10,000
families in six villages in Kigorobya Sub County in Hoima district are on the
verge of being evicted forcefully from their ancestral land. The affected
families are from Kigomba, Kyamucumba, Kalyambuzi, Kyataruga, Kamugembe 1 and
Kyamugembe 2 villages.
The residents are feuding with Edgar Agaba, a prominent businessman in Hoima
city who is said to have illegally acquired a title for the contested land
measuring about 438 hectares. The affected residents say they learnt about Agaba’s
land title two months back when the leadership of Kamugembe Church of Uganda,
which also seats on the land, wanted title its land.
However, the
church leaders discovered that the church land together with that of the six
villages was already titled by Agaba, who claims to have acquired his title in
2005. Vicente Ntegeka, one of the affected residents told Uganda Radio
Network that Agaba has a title for land in the neighboring Kyabusagazi and
Hanga villages but wants to use it to forcefully grab their land.
//Cue in:”Nokusasa Kwingi muno…
Cue
out:…Kutumaraho Obugabe bwaitu,”//
Christopher Kirisi, 60, who was born in Kigomba village, one of the affected villages,
is wondering how Agaba acquired a land title on their ancestral land.
//Cue in;”Nyo nsomere Kigorobya…
Cue out:…Muno muno muno,”//
Kate Businge, another resident says they are ready to defend their land from
being grabbed by Agaba. She wants the Minister of Lands to come on ground and
address the issue immediately.
//Cue in: “Our
appeal we…
Cue out:…gone too far,”//
Isiah Bigirwa, 50, who has lived on the contested piece of land since he was
born also, says that Agaba has a title for land in the neighboring villages and
wonders why he wants to use it to grab their land.
//Cue in : ”Tusomere Kyabisagazi aho…
Cue out:… Dupa dupa tujwahire.”//
When contacted by URN, Agaba feigned about the said titles.
//cue in: “Nyonki mbaire ngonza…
Cue out:…Yona na Hoima.”//
David Karubanga, the Kigorobya County Member of Parliament who also doubles as
the State Public Service Minister told the aggrieved residents that he will
join hands with them to follow up the matter with the Lands Ministry.
//Cue in: ”We have resolved…
Cue out:…have done this.”//
This is not
the first time Agaba is being implicated in land grabbing in Kigorobya Sub
County. In February 2019, Agaba was accused of grabbing 485 acres of land from
residents of Kyabisagazi 1 and Kyabisagazi 2 villages in Kyabisagazi parish in
Kigorobya Sub County. Agaba with the help of security teams comprising the army
and police brutally and forcefully evicted over 500 families and torched their
houses. Four toddlers were killed by security personnel during the brutal
eviction exercise.
The toddlers
were identified as Samuel Owuuchi, Stephen Ondizi, Rogers Jalwing and Samuel
Awungi. The brutal eviction compelled the speaker of Parliament; Rebecca Kadaga
to constitute a select Committee of Parliament on March 6th, 2019 to
investigate the matter after it was brought to the attention of the house by
the Ora County Member of parliament, Lawrence Biyika Songa brought the matter
to the attention of parliament on February 21, 2019.
The select committee operated under six terms of reference including studying
all claims of ownership on the disputed land, investigating allegations
relating to identity and status of persons evicted, examining the involvement
and conduct of security officers in the eviction of families.
The select committee was chaired by the Bukholi North MP, Gaster Mugoya Kyawa.
The other committee members were Budaka Woman MP, Pamela Kamoga Naiso,
Makindye East MP, Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa, Bududa Woman MP, Justine Khainza,
the then UPDF Representative in Parliament, Brig. Flavia Byekwaso, Oyam
Woman MP, Santa Alum and Busiki County MP, Paul Akamba. However,
the committee findings have never been made public.
