…..Special Report abridged testimony…..
How a pregnant woman was beaten by multinationals and local police over her land…
By witnessradio.org Team
Wineza Kuluwudini, is one of the many smallholder farmers that have tested the wrath of the multinational companies and police in Kiryandongo district because she was found digging in her garden.
Kuluwudini, a mother of four children before her 16 acres were grabbed by Great Season SMC Company Limited, she would earn about 2 million shillings equivalent to USD 720 per season after harvesting cabbages, rice, matooke and maize.
Great Seasons SMC limited, solely owned by a Sudan investor currently based in Dubai, is part of the three multinational companies that are forcefully evicting more than 35000 poor off their land to give way for agribusiness investments without any legal process. Other companies include Kiryandongo Sugar Limited owned by the RAI Dynasty from Mauritius and Kenya; and Agilis Partners Limited owned by American twin brothers.
Kuluwudini a resident of Kisalanda – Jerusalem, Kitwala sub-county in Kiryandongo district was on a fateful day of 8th September 2020 attacked by a group of armed men attached to Great Season SMC Company under the protection of police officers attached to Kiryandongo police station led by a one Abura Felix attached to Kiryandongo district police.
According to medical reports seen by Witness Radio – Uganda, Wineza Kuluwudini was 8 (eight) months pregnant at the time when she was attacked and severely beaten.
“I was cultivating in my garden at around 9 am local time when a group of 7 men attacked me, they asked what I was doing and I replied that I was in my garden digging. Out of the blue, they started beating me, I pleaded that they should stop but they could not, I felt unconscious after counting to about 8 strokes, beating every part of my body including my stomach, and yet they would visibly see that I was pregnant but could not stop beating me” Narrated Wineza Kuluwudini.
According to an eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, after beating Kuluwudini into a state unconsciousness, the seven-male attackers, grabbed her from the ground, and dumped her into their tractor to be transferred to an unknown place.
Ndahimana Ramu, the husband to Kuluwudini told Witness Radio – Uganda that after escaping from police and company workers that had stormed their garden, he briefly hid in the bush and later returned back home but said, he could not
see his wife.
He said, he called his fellow villagers to mount a search exercise for the missing wife.
“In few minutes, we found her laying alongside the road and she was too weak and could not walk. We briefly took her back home to bath and later to the hospital, but condition was so worrying” Narrated Ndahimana.
Ndahimana further explained that upon reaching the hospital, the medical team told them that the baby was not in a bad state but the victim (Kuluwudini) may fail to do her usual work and that indeed his wife cannot continue with the said work.
He added that he was blocked from opening up a criminal case at Kiryandongo district police by police officer Abura and company workers.
According to Ms. Bulyerali Joan, one of the victim’s lawyers, the companies are preferring violent methods to intimidate and force the poor villagers to leave their only available source of income.
“This is not the first case of torturing a pregnant woman in Kiryandongo, we have received several victims of brutality, rape, and defilement by workers of multinational companies. Police, too has perpetrated brutality.” She added.
Joan also blames the police for being indifferent and paying lip-service to the vulnerable women.
“I am shocked! Some have suffered miscarriages, their plight has been exacerbated by the inaction of the would be protector – the police. It will either condone or pay aloof to these heinous crimes that threaten motherhood whenever called upon to act” She noted.
Witness Radio – Uganda condemns in the strongest terms possible the use of violence against poor communities, and demands that police and other agencies should protect the poor communities land.
