By Witness Radio team
12 people in Nyamuntende village, Kiryandongo district have been arrested by the police in Kiryandongo in an early raid targeting male family heads. The raid was superintended by the Kiryandongo Officer in Charge of operations and involved 3 full police patrols, beating whoever resisted the arrests.
The raid that happened at 2:00 am in the wee hours of the morning has been described by the majority as the most traumatic incident forcing others to run to bushes to escape the attack.
The arrested community members include Mulenje Jack, Steven Kagyenji, Mulekwa David, Ntambala Geoffrey, Tumukunde Isaac 15 years, Kanoni Vicent 16 years among others. The community members are part of a community of over 300 smallholder farmers resisting forced evictions by a group of local investors, which includes; Mbabazi Samuel, Isingoma Julius, Mwesigye Simon, John Musokoto among others in Ranch 22, Nyamuntende village in Kiryandongo district.
According to eyewitnesses, three full-armed police patrols invaded Nyamutende village at 2:am in the morning, beating and arresting people. The attack left 12 members of the community arrested forcing the majority to go into the hideouts.
“They came at night and demanded us to open doors without identifying that they are police officers. When we opened, they swung in and arrested whomever male they found in the homes. Some of them that were protesting the arrest were seriously beaten. Other community members are on the run because the police said it is coming for them.” An eye witness told Witness Radio.
Police accuse the community of attacking and threatening to kill workers of the investors and burn the investors’ tractors, and stopping them from cultivating on land that investors paid for.
“A group of 40 people last week attacked on Thursday attacked and threatened to harm and kill workers of the investors who were operating tractors. They also threatened to burn their tractors yet the land that was being plowed was not for the community. It belongs to the investor” The Kiryandongo District Police Commander, Odonga Tonny told Witness Radio.
He added that police is still looking for other members that fled their homes to escape the arrest. “Some members were not found in their houses and we understand, were part of the group. We are coming for them any time.” The DPC added.
However, the community says one Mbabazi Samuel one of the investors encroached on their land while plowing his land. Mr. Mbabazi and others at large are accused of grabbing over 2000 acres of the community land.
“Mr. Mbabazi and his men encroached over 49 acres of our land while plowing. We approached to the tractor operators and kindly requested them to leave our land because it was not belonging to the investor. They listened and left our gardens and now we are wondering how we threatened to kill them or burn their tractors.” Mr. Kaliisa Yozefu, one of the residents whose 25 acres of his garden were plowed narrated.
The 12 community members according to the DPC are currently in Custody at Kiryandongo Police station, likely to be charged with threatening violence and criminal trespass.
