Preliminary findings indicate that the land was initially owned by late Vasco Lwigale, a former dairy farmer in the area. However, after Lwigale's demise, his children entrusted the land to 10 squatters, supervised by Wilberforce Lwigale.
Police in Ssezibwa have halted construction works on contested land within the Njeru industrial park, in Buikwe district. The land measures about six acres, and it has been trapped in endless disputes following its prime location less than a kilometre off the Jinja-Kampala highway.
Preliminary findings indicate that the land was initially owned by late Vasco Lwigale, a former dairy farmer in the area. However, after Lwigale's demise, his children entrusted the land to 10 squatters, supervised by Wilberforce Lwigale.
However, early last year, unknown men led by one Ashiraf started threatening the squatters, instructing them to vacate the land, claiming ownership.
The squatters sought redress from the district security, where a directive was issued restricting occupancy to only squatters.
Last week, Ashiraf and a group of men rounded off the squatters, directing all the squatters to vacate. They were termed as trespassers, and erected the signposts, indicating that the land belongs to Modern Laminates Limited.
The squatters sought redress at Njeru police station, with police officers affirming maintenance of earlier orders, which blocked development of the land.
This order was adhered to temporarily. On Friday, Ashraf's group returned with graders to level the ground and destroyed all crop gardens, three houses and 13 cows.
Julius Masette says that his house, alongside two acres of a banana plantation, were destroyed during the forceful eviction process. Masette says that unfair land evictions are ongoing, unnoticed, and he now wants the government to intervene.
//cue in: "Ashiraf yajja ne'...
Cue out...kye'nina,".
Annette Nayiga says that she was jointly managing a one-acre piece of land with two other women. Nayiga says that, as single mothers, they were able to construct a three-bedroom house for shelter for their family members.
Nayiga and colleagues have now taken refuge in makeshift houses along the Nile banks in Buikwe district.
//cue in: "omwami oyo' Ashiraf...
Cue out...lyona ku'taaka lino,".
Susan Wanyana, another squatter says that, much as the industrial park presents job opportunities for the unemployed, they equally come along with challenges of land grabbing, which the government should resolve.
Different parties contesting the land have resolved to hire both private security personnel and plain-clothed youths, armed with machetes, to defend their interests.
According to John Ssozi, who represented the Ssezibwa regional police commander, all the parties in the conflict were invited for a special meeting; however, Ashiraf declined to turn up on grounds that he had travelled to Mayuge district.
Ssozi says that all parties are yet to produce land titles or related ownership documents, but they have resolved to conduct another meeting with all parties next week.
