Mr. Mwesigye Reuben being held and handcuffed at Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Kireka, Kampala.
By witnessradio.org Team
Kiryandongo – Uganda. A joint team of detectives from Land Protection Unit, Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) have arrested one of the land dealers in Kiryandongo district who masterminded a land grab and transferred it to Great Seasons SMC Limited for large scale coffee and maize growing.
Great Seasons SMC Limited, solely owned by a Sudanese investor based in Dubai, is part of a group of three multinational companies consisting of Kiryandongo Sugar Limited and Agilis Partners Limited owned by an Indian family (RAI Dynasty) and the American twin brothers (Benjamin Prinz and Phillip Prinz) respectively.
The three multinational companies have arbitrarily perpetrated violence against poor communities. It is estimated that about 35000 people have been evicted since 2017.
The communities plagued by the continued forced evictions comprise three categories: The first category consists of people who were born on the land since 1935; the second, those that settled on the land during and after civil wars, including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) which lasted for 2 decades in Northern Uganda; and lastly, those who settled on the eviction site at the instance of government in 2011 through the Nyamalebe Landless Association.
Mr. Mwesigye Reuben, a local land dealer allegedly involved in the illegal evictions was picked from his home in Kimogola village on Friday, May, the 28th, 2021 at 6:00 am local time by a team of detectives led by Richard Ekebu.
The arrest followed several complaints from victim communities to higher authorities at Uganda Police headquarters about the fraudulent manner in which a group of middlemen from Kiryandongo district land board, Kiryadongo local government administration, political groups, and the local business community, dealt with their land causing irreparable economic, social and cultural harm.
Residents accuse Mwesigye of using machete wielding men, private security guards, and police officers attached to Kiryandongo district police to commit violent acts which include: sexual and gender based violence, illegal arrest and detention, torture, kidnap, demolition of houses, cutting down their food crops, and stealing their household properties among others.
In one of the most recent transactions by the district land board, Mwesigye with the help from technical members of Kiryandongo district land board, fraudulently acquired the land on Ranch 21(b), which was lawfully occupied and cultivated by over 300 families, part of 35000 that have been displaced.
The villagers lived on their land peacefully. However, their quiet possession was interfered with when Mwesige facilitated the unlawful eviction of a significant number of families leaving a handful who have resisted his illegal actions.
“Our village was attractive, but look now, we have nothing to eat, and our houses were demolished. In fact, we own nothing,” one villager who resisted to vacate the land said.
According to a letter dated 15th November 2016 addressed to community members, the chairman area land committee, Mr. Oola Venacious denied allegations that he was involved in approving applications that Mwesigye used to acquire land. However, he confirmed that all the signatures and stamps that were presented to the district land board and the area land committee as forgeries.
The sale agreement dated 27th may 2019, between Mwesigye the “vendor” and Great Seasons SMC Ltd the “purchaser” seen by Witness Radio – Uganda show that Mwesigye sold three plots of land which include; block 7 plot 66, 68 and 69 in Kimogola, Kiryandongo district equivalent to approximately 580.337 acres to Great Season SMC limited, which document Mwesigye has been using to accuse locals of encroaching on his land in addition to justifying his highhandedness in having them evicted.
According to detective Ekebu, the suspect has been called several times to voluntarily record his statement on charges related to fraud, violence and land grabbing but declined. This left police with no option but to have him arrested.
“So government uses all means to arrest anyone who does not abide by the laws. We have written to him more than three times, no response. His actions will be dealt with in full force after investigations, he added.
Mwesigye is currently being held at the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of Uganda police at Kireka, a Kampala suburb.
