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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Agony As Justice Systems Side With Land Grabbers In Mubende District To Incarcerate Indigenous Communities Opposing Illegal Land Evictions

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By Witnessradio.org Team

Formasa limited, a Chinese owned Company dealing in tree planting business was in 2010 introduced to 1000 native families from over twelve (12) villages in both Maddudu and Butoloogo sub counties by Mubende District Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Evelyn Tinkamarirwa Akiiki. RDC is a president’s representative at a district whose position is established by the 1995 Constitution of Republic of Uganda.

The company allegedly bought land totaling to over ten (10) square miles covering 12 villages namely; Kaziragoma, Nakasozi, Kyedikyo, Kamagwa, Kicucuulo, Namayindi, Kiguluka, Kabuwuka, Kaswa, Kitebi, Kyabbogo and Kisiigwa.

No sooner had the company been introduced than hundreds of casual laborers were brought and established a camp under Mubende police protection. Family gardens and plantations started getting destroyed to plant both eucalyptus and thorny pine trees, burning down people’s houses, allegedly gang raping women, attacking community members with pangs and machetes, harassment of community members, arresting and detaining community leaders opposing illegal land evictions.

Lubuuka Harunah, 35, is a resident of Kisiigwa LC1, Maddudu Sub County.  He claims that on 02/7/2014 he was attacked at his home by a group of company workers. He said his body parts were cut with machete and got admitted at Mubende Referral Hospital. “I was being accused of refusing to vacate my land for the company to plant trees”. Said Lubuuka.

He said upon being discharged from hospital, he filed an assault case against company workers at Mubende police station on 04/07/2014 but instead; Mubende police arrested him few days later and got produced before court. He was charged with assault CR. CASE NO.514/2014 for assaulting FORMASA company workers.

Court remanded him to Kaweeri prison for one year after which, he secured cash bail and got released from prison.

Lubuuka said that by the time he returned home, he found his entire land covered by trees belonging to Formasa Company on top of demolishing his house that he had built there!

I tried to seek justice, but any government office like Police, RDC, among others, that I have been to, they just send me away only threatening to arrest and get me back to prison again. In fact, I am now timid to the extent that I no longer want to talk about these things anymore”. Said Lubuuka. He added that the case was later dismissed due to lack of evidence after losing his entire land to the company.

Paul Sinamenye, 54 a resident of Nakasozi village, Naluwondwa Parish – Maddudu Sub-County, claims he was falsely charged with assaulting Stephen Tumwine, the Manager at Formasa Company under Criminal case No 0608/2016. He said, when he was taken to court, he wasn’t allowed to say anything and Grade One Magistrate Wandera Wilson remanded him to Kaweeri prison. “What hurts me is that Formasa Company used the period I spent in prison to grab my land through planting their trees and as I speak now, I don’t have any farmland to grow food to feed my family” said Sinamenye.

Sinamenye added that his case was later dismissed after the complainant (Tumwine) made a U-turn and denied having been beaten.

He said they later filed a civil suit against Asiimwe for malicious case civil suit No. MBD CS 16/2107 Hategyeka Esau & Sinamenye Paul Vs Tumwine Stephen. “Upon receiving court papers requiring him to put in his defence within 15 days, he came with police to arrest me and Hategyeka. We were arrested and charged with a new assault case No. 0608/16 accusing us of beating up workers of Formasa Company” said Sinamenye.

He added that they were remanded to Kaweeri prison before being granted cash bail of 500,000 UGX equivalent to about USD 150 on 31/1/2017.

Jimmy Ssegujja, 45, is a resident of Kyedikyo village, Maddudu Sub County. He said during the forceful evictions by Formasa Company, he refused to leave his land and resisted the company’s plan to plant trees in his land. As a punishment he was arrested by police and charged with a case relating to removing of boundary marks contrary to CS 338 Penal Code Act on file CRB 518/12/case No. 192/2012. The magistrate jailed him at Kaweeri prison, before being transferred to Kijumba prison.

After spending three months on remand, I was taken back to court, but I was never allowed to bring my witnesses only to be convicted and sentenced to six months. On completion of my sentence, I returned to my home, but I couldn’t find my wife at home-she had left, and part of my land had been grabbed. But my efforts to reclaim the ownership of my land was in futility, because Formasa Company seem to have bribed all officials in the various government offices I ran to, because everybody gave my issues deaf ears.

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Top 10 agribusiness giants: corporate concentration in food & farming in 2025

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Today a handful of agribusiness corporations have consolidated unprecedented control over the world’s food supply, with devastating consequences for farmers, consumers and the planet. A new report by ETC Group and GRAIN examines the state of corporate concentration in six sectors critical to agriculture: commercial seeds, pesticides, synthetic fertilisers, farm machinery, animal pharmaceuticals and livestock genetics.

Corporate consolidation is increasing in most of these sectors and four of them– seeds, pesticides, agricultural machinery and animal pharmaceuticals– now meet the definition of an oligopoly, in which four companies control more than 40% of a market. Concentration can be even higher at the national level, as is the case with synthetic fertilisers.

Top findings from the report include:

  • Oligopolies dominate key sectors: Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF control 56% of the global commercial seeds market, and 61% of the pesticides market.
  • Profiteering amid global crises: Agribusiness giants have exploited crises like the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic to inflate prices. Fertiliser companies, for instance, saw revenues soar by 57% from 2020 to 2023, with some accused of price gouging.
  • Digital and biotech expansion: Corporations are rapidly integrating AI, gene editing, and digital platforms into agriculture through partnerships with Big Tech companies. These technologies enable data extraction from farmers, facilitate carbon credit schemes, and tighter control over food systems—while raising concerns about biosafety, privacy, and corporate monopolies.

View the Report

Source: grassrootsonline

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Land grabbers evict 360,000 Ugandans in 2024

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A staggering 363,021 Ugandans were displaced due to forced land evictions between January and June 2024, according to a new report by Witness Radio Uganda.

The report documented 90 cases of land evictions during this period, with nearly four incidents occurring weekly, affecting over 15,126 people and threatening 5,060 hectares of land nationwide.

The Central region was the epicenter, recording 52 eviction cases, followed by 24 in the Western region, eight in the Northern region, and six in the Eastern region. Alarmingly, the report estimated that 2,160 Ugandans face eviction daily, with 723 hectares of land at risk of being grabbed every day.

VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Despite government promises and directives from President Museveni to halt evictions, land grabbers have routinely ignored these orders, often resorting to violence. Armed security forces, private militias, and police were reported to have carried out the majority of the evictions.

Of the reported cases, 37 were enforced by armed gangs on behalf of evictors, 25 involved Uganda Police, five were carried out with the participation of UPDF soldiers, and four were linked to private security companies.

“The egregious levels of impunity exhibited by land grabbers have left communities defenseless, creating an environment where their human rights are trampled without consequence,” said Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, country director of Witness Radio Uganda.

He called for accountability and justice, warning that the unchecked power of influential individuals and entities leaves marginalized communities vulnerable and without recourse.

DRIVERS OF EVICTIONS: INDUSTRIALIZATION AND LAND-BASED INVESTMENTS

The report identified the government’s push for industrialization and land-based investments as the primary drivers of forced evictions. Land is increasingly targeted for oil and gas extraction, mining, agribusiness and tree plantations for carbon offsets. While some of this land is already under development, other parcels remain vacant but are guarded by military personnel and private security firms.

Ssebaggala emphasized that industrialization must balance economic development with the protection of smallholder farmers’ rights to land and food security.

TRAGIC STORIES

The report highlighted harrowing cases that underscore the human toll of forced evictions. In Nakasongola, smallholder farmer Dan Ssebyala was ambushed and killed by armed men following a confrontation over disputed land. The district has become a hotspot for violent evictions involving absentee landlords and powerful investors.

Ismael Bwowe, a disabled father of 20, recounted how his land was confiscated after he demanded fair compensation. He faced intimidation, arrests and false charges from state authorities, including being accused of robbing an influential individual. Bwowe claimed that Total Energies offered legal support and representation on the condition that he accept their compensation terms.

“I refused,” he said, adding that the pressure to relinquish his land remains intense. The report underscores the urgent need for reforms to address forced evictions, ensure accountability, and protect the rights of vulnerable communities. Without meaningful intervention, Uganda risks deepening inequality and undermining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who are essential to the country’s food security.

FAMILY JAILED AMID LAND DISPUTE

The plight of Richard Ssebagala, his wife Prossy Namande, and their relative Anania Ngabirano, residents of Kabubu-Kabongo village in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso district, highlights the human toll of Uganda’s ongoing land disputes. The family spent nine months in prison following their arrest on January 10, 2024, under controversial circumstances.

ARREST AND ALLEGATIONS

The arrests occurred at 1am, during a raid by officers from Luweero police station. Police reportedly banged on the doors and forcefully detained the family, accusing them of aggravated robbery. However, the family believes the arrest was a tactic linked to a land dispute with Benon Ntambi, a man who allegedly grabbed their land.

Before the arrests, Ntambi had reportedly destroyed crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, and bananas, on the contested land. While the family was incarcerated, a new building was constructed on their land, which is now occupied, raising further questions about the motivations behind their detention.

CALLS FOR JUSTICE

The case has drawn attention from Witness Radio Uganda, which has urged the government to take immediate action to address land grabbing and illegal evictions. The organization emphasized the need to strengthen land laws and protect vulnerable communities from abuses.

It also called for greater accountability in institutions such as the Uganda Police Force, the army and land registries, which are often accused of corruption and favoritism toward the wealthy.

“The government must prioritize justice for victims of illegal evictions and address systemic corruption that leaves the poor defenseless against land grabbers,” Witness Radio Uganda stated.

BROADER CONTEXT

This case underscores the broader issue of land conflicts in Uganda, where vulnerable families are often caught in disputes with powerful individuals or entities. Advocacy groups warn that the failure to address these issues not only erodes public trust but also perpetuates inequality and injustice.

As the government faces mounting pressure to act, the story of Ssebagala and his family serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reforms to protect land rights and ensure justice for those impacted by land disputes.

Source: The Observer

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: Community members violently evicted by security forces, allegedly related to EACOP; incl. co. responses

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On 10 February 2023, more than 2,500 community members were forcibly evicted from their land in Kapapi village in Hoima district in Western Uganda by security forces, receiving no compensation or resettlement.

Witness Radio, an Ugandan non-profit organisation comprised of human rights investigative journalists, lawyers, and social workers, said that many people were wounded during the eviction, women were raped, and houses were destroyed.

Witness Radio said its investigations found that this eviction occurred to clear the path for the Tilenga feeder pipeline, part of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). According to Witness Radio, in 2022 Kapapi community members’ land was surveyed for the Tilenga pipeline and people were informed they would be compensated for the land. Instead, they were forcibly evicted, which Witness Radio allege was backed and financed by Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, known to TotalEnergies. They also allege that guards from private security company Magnum Security were involved. Witness Radio has also found that dozens of local farmers who were evicted have been arbitrarily arrested and face criminal charges.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited TotalEnergies, Swacoff Intertrade Company Limited, and Magnum Security to respond to the allegations. TotalEnergies responded and stated that no land eviction activities had been carried out by or on behalf of TotalEnergies EP Uganda (TEPU) and EACOP Ltd and that none of the affected people are Tilenga or EACOP Project Affected Persons. Swacoff responded and said that the company has never engaged in forceful eviction of any sort and asserts that these allegations are completely false. Their full responses and rejoinders from Witness Radio are available below. Magnum Security did not respond.

Source: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

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