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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Witnessradio.org Sued For Amplifying Voices of Violently Evicted Communities Off 2-Square Mile Land

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By witnessradio.org team

In an attempt to frustrate efforts to recover communities’ land in Mubende district, a businessman Wilfred Bugingo has sued witnessradio.org for defamation.

During the last couple of months,witnessradio.org has been exposing individuals that have unlawfully evicting communities off their land and committed gross human rights abuses including petitioning the Land Inquiry Commission see; https://witnessradio.org/witnessradio-org-appears-before-land-inquiry-commission-tables-evidence-of-severe-torture-destruction-of-homes-and-loss-of-livelihoods-meted-against-poor-residents-in-mubende/

The businessmen are being assisted by police, army and Mubende District Land Board to forcefully evict and grab people’s land. Bugingo plus four other businessmen have been accused of unlawful eviction of over 14,000 families off over 30 square miles of land. The victims of the affected communities either inherited from their grandparents or were born on the grabbed land.

Bugingo is being accused of grabbing two (2) square miles of land given to natives by government because they were part of West Mengo Growers Union’s seven (7) square miles.

The land is found at Bunakabwa village, Kiteredde parish, Manyogaseka sub-county in Mubende district.

In civil suit No 415 of 2017 in the High Court at Kampala filed on 15th August 2017, Bugingo through his lawyers of Lwere, Lwanyaga & Company insists that he is the owner and registered proprietor of land comprised in freehold register volume HQT 177 Block 427 plot 380 at Lwensolo, ,Mubende district.

“Before the plaintiff acquired the certificate of title to the above said land, he occupied and utilized the same for animal, crop husbandry plus tree planting for a period over ten [10] years,” Bugingo’s law suit states in part.

Witnessradio.org, an independent and non-partisan organization working towards an equitable land management and advocating for indigenous people’s land rights was sued along with Human Right Enforcement Foundation (HUREF).

After dismissing witnessradio.org facts contained in a memoranda before the Land Inquiry Commission as “unfounded allegations,” Bugingo wants court to issue the following orders against the defendants;

  1. General/ compensatory damages;
  2. Exemplary or aggravated damages;
  3. A permanent injunction to issue against the defendants restraining them from making any further statements defamatory of the plaintiff;
  4. An order that the defendants cause the publication of an article apologizing to the plaintiff and retracting their defamatory statement and;
  5. Costs of this suit

In its memoranda to the commission of inquiry, witnessradio.org reported that five community leaders; Crespo Buyondo, Abdullah Kasigire, Eldard Tamale, Godfrey Kanamugire and Everest Kibaya Ssekyondwa spent three years without trial before they were forced into a plea bargain on aggravated robbery offence to get an early release.

Despite their involuntary acceptance, leaders who were prosecuted and imprisoned for resisting illegal and forceful eviction, still insist that they never committed the offence but rather their arrest was intended to weaken and isolate communities in order for a powerful businessman Bugingo to grab their 2-square mile land.

In filing this suit against the victims’ defenders, Bugingo, as many other economically powerful and politically connected individuals, seeks to use malicious-especially criminal defamation which has to this day remained on the law books perhaps to silence non-violent criticism and opposition to his brutal acts meted on the poor peasants in Mubende district.

Criminal defamation which Bugingo chose to persecute witnessradio.org for amplifying the voices of the vulnerable, is contrary to section 179 and 180(1) of the Penal Code Act and it can land you to prison, even if what was reported about is the truth.

Defamation remains a huge hindrance to media freedom as enshrined in the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda including article 29, which states that Every person shall have the right to— (a) freedom of speech and expression which shall include freedom of the press and other media;

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in November 2010 passed a resolution stating that: “criminal defamation laws constitute a serious interference with freedom of expression and impedes on the role of the media as a watchdog, preventing journalists and media practitioners to practice their profession without fear and in good faith;” The Commission called upon State parties including Uganda, to repeal criminal defamation laws because they impede on freedom of speech.

In 2009, the United Kingdom abolished criminal defamation entirely from their legal books.

 

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DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: Witness Radio and Partners to Launch Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy Project Tomorrow.

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By Witness Radio Team.

Witness Radio, in collaboration with Dan Church Aid (DCA) and the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), is set to launch the Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project tomorrow, 22nd February 2024, at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Hoima District.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote the protection and respect for human rights, and enable access to remedy where violations occur especially in the Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments (LBIs) through improved documentation, and evidence-based advocacy.

The three-year project, which commenced in October 2023, focuses its activities in the Mid-Western sub-region, covering Bulisa, Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibale, and Mubende districts, and Karamoja sub-region, covering Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, and Karenga districts.

The project targets individuals and groups at high risk of human rights violations, including Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs). It also engages government duty bearers such as policymakers and implementers in relevant ministries and local governments, recognizing their crucial role in securing land and environmental rights. Additionally, the project involves officials from institutional duty bearers including the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Equal Opportunities Commission, and courts, among others.

Representatives from the international community, faith leaders, and business actors are also included in the project’s scope, particularly those involved in land-based investments (LBIs) impacting the environment.

The project was initially launched in Moroto for the Karamoja region on the 19th of this month with the leadership of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD).

According to the project implementors,  the action is organized into four activity packages aimed at; enhancing the capacity and skills of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) in monitoring, documentation, reporting (MDR), and protection, establishing and reinforcing reporting and documentation mechanisms for advocacy and demand for corporate and government accountability;  providing response and support to HRDs and marginalized communities; and lastly facilitating collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagements that link local and national issues to national and international frameworks and spaces.

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DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Kiryandongo leadership agree to partner with Witness Radio Uganda to end rampant forced land evictions in the district.

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By Witness Radio team.

Kiryandongo district leaders have embraced Witness Radio’s collaboration with the Kiryandongo district aimed at ending the rampant violent and illegal land evictions that have significantly harmed the livelihoods of the local communities in the area.

The warm welcome was made at the dialogue organized by Witness Radio Uganda, Uganda’s leading land and environmental rights watchdog at the Kiryandongo district headquarters, intended to reflect on the plight of land and environmental rights defenders, local and indigenous communities and the role of responsible land-based investments in protecting people and the planet.

Speaking at the high-level dialogue, that was participated in by technical officers, policy implementers, religious leaders, leaders of project affected persons (PAPs), politicians, media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and development partners that support land and environment rights as well as the Land Based Investments (LBIs) Companies in the Kiryandongo district, the leaders led by the District Local Council 5 Chairperson, Ms. Edith Aliguma Adyeri appreciated the efforts taken by Witness Radio organization to organize the dialogue meeting aimed at bringing together stakeholders to safeguard community land and environmental rights in order address the escalating vice of land grabbing in the area.

During the dialogue, participants shared harrowing accounts of the impacts of land evictions and environmental degradation, including tragic deaths, families torn asunder, young girls forced into marriage, a surge in teenage pregnancies, limited access to education, and significant environmental damage which have profoundly affected the lives of the local population in Kiryandongo.

Participants attending the dialogue.

In recent years, Kiryandongo district has been embroiled in violent land evictions orchestrated to accommodate multinational large-scale agriculture plantations and wealthy individuals leaving the poor marginalized.

According to various reports, including findings from Witness Radio’s 2020 research Land Grabs at a Gun Point, the forceful land acquisitions in Kiryandongo have significantly impacted the livelihoods of local communities. It is estimated that nearly 40,000 individuals have been displaced from their land to make room for land-based investments in the Kiryandongo district. However, leaders in the district also revealed in the dialogue that women and children are affected most.

The Kiryandongo Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Jonathan Akweteireho, emphasized that all offices within the Kiryandongo district are actively involved in addressing the prevalent land conflicts. He also extended a welcome to Witness Radio, acknowledging their collaborative efforts in tackling and resolving land and environmental issues in the district.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that the land rights together with environmental rights have been violated in our district, but because we don’t know what our rights are, because we have not directly done what we could to safeguard our rights and now this is the time that Witness Radio has brought us together to safeguard our rights. I want to welcome you in Kiryandongo and be rest assured that we shall give you all the necessary support to help us manage these rampant cases,” Ms. Adyeri said in her remarks during the dialogue meeting.

The team leader at Witness Radio Uganda, Mr. Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala expressed gratitude to the participants for their active involvement in the dialogue and revealed that Witness Radio’s objective is to find a holistic solution to the escalating land disputes in Kiryandongo district serving as an example to other districts.

“We are here to assist Kiryandongo district in attaining peace and stability because it stands as a hotspot for land grabbers in Uganda. Mismanagement of land conflicts in Uganda could potentially lead to a significant internal conflict. Everywhere you turn, voices are lamenting the loss of their land and property. Kiryandongo, abundant with ranches, suffers from a lack of a structured framework, which amplifies these land conflicts. The influx of wealthy investors further complicates the situation,” Mr. Ssebaggala disclosed.

Within the dialogue, Mr. Ssebaggala emphasized the need for the Kiryandongo district council to pass a by-law aimed at curbing land evictions as an initial step in addressing the prevalent land injustices.

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Kiryandongo authorities decry rising cases of land disputes

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The LC5 chairperson of Kiryandongo, Ms Edith Aliguma Adyeri, has saidnland dispute has impacted on people’s lives, dignity and children’s education in the district.

Just like other parts of Uganda, conflicts over land in Kiryandongo arise when individuals – who often are blood relatives – compete for use of the same parcel of land or when members of the community lay claim over ownership of unutilised government land.

Ms Adyeri further said land and environmental rights affect people both directly and indirectly, “and we are not hearing it from afar. It is already together with us [here], it has already affected us!”

She was speaking at a meeting which sought to discuss alternative remedies to salvage the appalling land and environmental rights situation in Kiryandongo at the district headquarters on Thursday.

The one-day dialogue was aimed at reflecting on the plight of land and environmental rights defenders, local and indigenous communities and the role of responsible land-based investments in protecting people and the planet.

It was attended by private companies, members of civil society and local government officials and organised by Witness Radio – an advocate for land and environmental rights in Uganda – in partnership with Oxfam, and Kiryandongo District leadership.

“Some people have even died, families are broken up, and brothers are not seeing eye-to-eye because of land rights. Access to justice is equally becoming very difficult because when you hire one lawyer that
lawyer will talk to learned friends, and they agree. They leave you in suspense,” Ms Adyeri said.

According to her, some children have not accessed education because of land and environmental rights.

Mr Jonathan Akweteireho, the deputy Resident District Commissioner of Kiryandongo, said enlightened people especially should be sensitive to the historical injustice of this area.

“We can never handle the Bonyoro land question without thinking about that history. It will be an injustice to the incomers, to the government and to the leaders who don’t understand,” he said.

“We had 38 ranches here which on the guidance of these international organisations, especially the World Bank, the government restructured them, allowing people to settle there, they were never given titles and up to today, there are big problems in all those ranches,” he added.

Mr Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, the executive director of Witness Radio, said that a well-functional land sector supports land users or holders and investors, reduces inefficiencies and provides mechanisms to resolve land disputes.

Mr David Kyategeka, the secretary to the Kiryandongo District Land Board, said the issue of land rights is very clear but the major challenge has been sensitising the locals to know what rights he or she expects to enjoy out of this very important resource.

Source: www.monitor.co.ug

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