Moses Kibunga, the Vice Chairperson of Bwingana village and one of the affected residents, said the landlords had initially given them a two-year ultimatum to find an alternative settlement.
The Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, has directed the Lwengo Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Emmy Kateera Turyabagyeni, to immediately halt an impending eviction of at least 65 families in a protracted land dispute in Bwingana village, Kalagala Parish, Malongo Sub-county.
The residents have been embroiled in a land wrangle with landlords Fred Niwagaba and Eli Muhumuza since 2020. The two claim ownership of more than two square miles of land and have been pressuring the occupants to vacate, citing freehold titles issued in 2015 — a development the residents say they were unaware of.
Moses Kibunga, the Vice Chairperson of Bwingana village and one of the affected residents, said the landlords had initially given them a two-year ultimatum to find an alternative settlement. Kibunga explained that the communities always believed they were living on public land held in trust by the government, until Niwagaba and Muhumuza produced the land titles and began fencing off sections of the land.
However, the Attorney General has now intervened, instructing the RDC to suspend any evictions to allow for investigations into the circumstances under which the titles were issued, and to protect the affected families.
Speaking during a public rally at Katovu Secondary School in Lwengo Town Council, Kiryowa stated that the government cannot allow the mass eviction of residents without first ensuring alternative settlements are arranged. He assured the communities that his Chambers would conduct a thorough review of the case to find a lasting solution.
//Cue in: "abatuuze ba Bwingana....
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Vincent Birimuye, the Lwengo District Vice Chairperson, said the dispute has long troubled the district leadership because of its serious implications for residents' livelihoods. He noted that previous complaints to the Ministry of Lands yielded no conclusive action, and matters worsened when eviction notices were recently issued.
Birimuye added that the district had also forwarded the issue to the Land Protection Unit in the Office of the President and was awaiting a response. Meanwhile, Lwengo District Woman MP, Cissy Dionizia Namujju, welcomed the Attorney General’s directive, describing it as a relief for both the residents and local leaders. She criticized the landlords for aggressively pursuing their investments despite appeals for community protection, and said government involvement would ease tensions.
//Cue in: "ffe twagezaako...
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RDC Emmy Kateera Turyabagyeni said he has summoned the two landlords for a meeting to communicate the Attorney General’s instructions and chart a way forward.
