By the Witness Radio team.
A community of smallholder farmers has petitioned the Commandant of the Police’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) over the unprofessional conduct of the Kiryandongo District Police Commander (DPC) Edson Muhangi for allegedly aiding and abetting land grabbing in Nyamuntende village, Kibeka Parish, Kiryandongo Sub County in Kiryandongo district.
PSU is a department within the Uganda Police Force (UPF) established to handle complaints from the general public concerning the misconduct of police personnel and neglect/non-performance of duty among the members of the police. It has the power to take disciplinary measures against Police Officers.
Muhangi is accused of conducting an arbitrary arrest and detention of 2 community members and ten (10) farmers of Nyamuntende in Kiryandongo district in the wee hours of 8th February 2023. He and his agents broke into people’s houses, severely assaulted communities, and caused bodily injuries.
The raid caused the arrest of two (2) community land rights defenders including; Mulekwa David and Mulenga Jackson and ten (10) cattle farmers who among others included, Tumukunde Isaac, Kanoni Vincent, Kanunu Innocent, Musabe Steven, Munyankole Enock, Lokong Gabriel, Tambara Geoffrey, Kagenyi Steven, Mukombozi Frank, and Kuzara Frank. The two farmers (Tumukunde Isaac, and Kanoni Vincent) were later released at Kiryandongo Central Police Station upon the that they are underage.
Mulekwa and Mulenga have been mobilizing the cattle farming community to resist forceful and violent evictions by Somdium Limited Company and its agents.
“We found Mulekwa, one of the defenders with wounds, visible skin marks due to physical assault and bruises, and others. The victims accused Muhangi, the Kiryandongo district police commander of forcefully breaking into their houses, assaulting them, and causing damage to their properties”. Revealed, Arinaitwe Peter, one of the attorneys.
Earlier on the 1st of February, 2023, the community had protested a land grab by Mr. Mbabazi Samuel who ordered his workers to cultivate the community land. Over 50 acres of community, land were forcefully taken by the land grabber’s workers.
According to the community’s lawyers, the illegal arrests and detention of community members are a carefully orchestrated land-grabbing scheme by Maseruka Robert and Mbabazi Samuel receiving support from top security officials in the Kiryandongo district.
The petition was copied into the Head Police Land Protection Unit Police Head Quarters Naguru, Chairman Local Council V (5) Kiryadongo District, and the Regional Police Commander Albertine Region.
Witness Radio is informed by lawyers, M/s. Arinaitwe Peter & Co. Advocates, the community being evicted has been on their land for over 30 years. However, in 2017, they applied for a lease of the said Land to Kiryandongo District Land Board through the Directorate of Land Matters State House.
The petition further mentions that “Whereas the community was still awaiting their Application to be processed, they were shocked to establish that the said land had been instead leased to and registered in the names of Isingoma Jufius, Mwesige Simon, John Musokota William, Tumusiime Gerald Wabwire Messenger Gabriel, Ocema Richard and Wiison Shikhama, some of whom were not known to the Complainants.”
When the complainants appealed to the RDC, they were advised to institute proceedings against the said persons and assigned one Mbabazi Samuel to assist them to that effect. The said Mbabazi accordingly filed Civil Suit Noa 46 of 2019 against the said registered proprietors at Masindi High Court challenging the illegal and fraudulent registration, sale, and transfer of the subject land to Maseruka Robert.
While awaiting the progress of the case mentioned, the Complainants were surprised to find that the said Mbabazi, instead of assisting them went into a consent and settled the said suit without their knowledge or consent.
The petition demanded the commandant of the PSU investigate the officer’s conduct and his role in facilitating land-grabbing schemes on land formerly known as Ranch 22.
