By Witness Radio team.
Mubende -Uganda. When Nanyanzi Eva learned that the retrial of the case they had filed against Kaweri Coffee Company and the government of Uganda was finally scheduled for hearing, she thought a new dawn had come.
For years, Eva and her family had lived with the pain of losing land, which served as their sole source of livelihood. The court date was supposed to be a chance for her and others to reclaim not only what was taken from them but also the justice they had been denied for more than two decades.
“I am here to attend all the hearings because I hope this time round we can get justice after a long time of suffering,” she told the Witness Radio team on the first day of the session. Instead, the week ended in heartbreak. After listening to only nine witnesses over three days, the presiding judge adjourned the hearing to October 27 and 28, 2025. This delay was due to the complexity of the case and the need for thorough examination of each witness’s testimony. For the families who have waited 24 years for justice, it was yet another painful reminder of how slow and frustrating the legal process has become. The emotional toll of this delay on Eva and her family is immeasurable.
Despite the overwhelming odds, Eva, now 54, is one of hundreds who were violently evicted in August 2001 when bulldozers, escorted by armed soldiers and police, descended on four villages, including Kitemba, Luwunga, Kijunga, and Kiryamakobe in Mubende District. Yet, she remains resilient.
Her 10 acres of farmland, a foundation of her life, was flattened. Crops, property, and homes were destroyed on the fateful day.
“That land had been given to me by my late grandfather Ssentamu in the 1980s. Before the eviction, I was able to provide for my family and live a dignified life. But all that was taken in a single day,” she recalls, a sense of injustice palpable in her voice, evoking empathy from the audience.
Today, she lives on a small 100×25 ft plot in Kilawula village, which she toiled to buy after being evicted from her previous home. She is a widow, the caretaker of more than a dozen relatives, and survives by working on other people’s farms.
“It is not good to wish suffering on anyone, but whoever championed our eviction deserves to taste what we have endured. At my age, I am still struggling to keep my family afloat. We work in other people’s fields to survive,” she added.
Even attending court is a struggle. The High court sits more than 15 kilometers away from her home, and to raise transport money, she labors in neighboring plantations for as little as two euros and fifty cents a day. This means she has to toil for several days to save five euros, enough to cover transport to attend a one-day court session. The financial strain of this process is yet another injustice Eva and her family have to endure.
“The eviction crippled me, robbed me of everything. Obtaining money for court is another painful process. Imagine you lose everything and then have to sweat again to demand justice,” Eva said bitterly.
She was accompanied by her younger sister, Regina, who also testified as the ninth witness during the session on Wednesday. Like Eva, she is an evictee. Together, they walked out of court feeling betrayed not just by the government and the investor, but also by the justice system itself, their emotional burden heavier than ever.
“This case has caused suffering to many of us,” Regina said. “The investor is fully enjoying our land while we are left to beg. Why should we be silenced when we try to explain the background of our land ownership? The court should guide and listen, not mislead or cut us short. Too often, we are denied the time to tell the truth in full.” She added. The prolonged legal battle has not only caused financial strain but also emotional distress, as the families continue to fight for their rights and dignity. The emotional toll of this battle is significant, and the families are in desperate need of closure and justice.
The Kaweeri case is one of Uganda’s most infamous land disputes. It began in 2002, when over 2,000 residents sued the government of Uganda and Kaweeri Coffee Plantation Ltd, a subsidiary of the German coffee giant Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), over the brutal evictions.
In 2013, the High court ruled in favor of the communities, declaring the evictions unlawful and awarding them UGX 37 billion in compensation. But in 2015, the court of Appeal overturned the ruling and ordered a retrial.
That decision pushed the displaced families back into a prolonged legal battle. By 2019, the case was before Justice Henry Kaweesa, who recommended mediation. The government offered UGX 1.9 billion, an amount many considered a pittance compared to their losses. More than half of the evictees accepted the compensation offer because they were tired of waiting for it to be finalized. One hundred forty-three families refused, citing unfair compensation and lack of transparency. This disparity in compensation further highlights the injustice these families are facing.
It is these 143 families who remain in court today.
Initially, the case was filed as a representative suit, with five individuals serving as spokespeople for the entire group. But during the retrial, government and company attorneys objected, arguing that the five could not represent everyone. As a result, the court directed each of the 143 families to testify individually, an arrangement that has further delayed the case.
From August 25 to 27, 2025, the court heard testimony from eight witnesses, in addition to one who had previously testified before the court. The total number of witnesses became nine. But much of the testimonies, however, repeated what others had already said: stories of mistreatment, burning down houses, violent eviction, lost property, and unfair compensation.
Justice Tadeo Asiimwe expressed concern about the lengthy proceedings. The judge advised the parties to sit together and agree on how to handle the remaining witnesses, noting that the court had already reviewed the evidence and found it broadly similar across the different plaintiffs.
“Just sit together and tell me how you want to deal with the remaining witnesses. We have already sampled your evidence, and it is not different from that of the other claimants. The only difference is in the figures; one is claiming 1 million, another 400, and another 2 million. It is only the amounts that vary,” the judge said.
The judge further warned that the case could drag on for years if each individual’s testimony were heard in full. He further encouraged the parties to consider negotiations, stressing that those who are willing to accept the government’s compensation could do so through their lawyers or by finding a way to consolidate the remaining testimonies.
“The plaintiffs are free to continue with negotiations. Your lawyers are here; you can talk and make your own decisions. I will wait for you. Because it is excruciating to receive a judgment, and it makes you drop what you already have. You may be holding something, but then a judgment comes and says, Drop it. That is very painful,” the judge cautioned, urging parties to think carefully about their options, either taking the compensation given now or waiting for a court outcome, which may not be fair to the plaintiffs.
Compensation that has lost value.
Eva explains that in March 2002, her land and property were valued at only UGX 2 million. The valuation, carried out with the support of the former Mubende Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Perez Katamba and local leaders, left many feeling cheated.
“I was not even part of the valuation process. I just heard from my neighbors that they had been assessed. Later, officials came with papers and forced me to sign them. That was not fair participation,” she said, adding that, “One thing we want is for the money to be increased. Maybe 20 years ago it would have meant something, but not now. The cost of living is high, and money has lost value. We have not been equally treated as plaintiffs,” Eva insisted.
As the case drags into its third decade, frustration among the displaced families continues to grow. While Kaweri Coffee enjoys profits from its former lands, the original owners remain trapped in poverty, fighting for recognition in a justice system that seems designed to wear them down.
“We have waited patiently for 24 years,” Eva said. “All we ask is meaningful compensation, so that we too can live dignified lives, just like the investor who took over our land.”
The case was adjourned to October 27 and 28, leaving hundreds of families still waiting. Eva hopes the court will finally deliver a fair and meaningful decision, one that recognizes their decades-long suffering.
