By Kabuye Ronald
The National Resistance Movement and president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s diehard supporter Erismus Kigaba Bukenya is in tears, shock and dilemma after his over 350 herds of cattle, goats, sheep where killed by a suspected land grabber Musanje Muhammad and his gang who has for long claimed ownership of Bukenya’s land with a fake land title, orchestrated violence against him and his family.
According to Bukenya, he bought the 650 acres of land in Kamira village, Kamira Sub County, Bamunanika County, Luweero district from Non Performance Assets Recovery Trust in 2000 a government entity at five million shillings as the highest bidder after reading an advertisement in new papers. He then paid off all the sitting tenants who were on the land. However, he was surprised in 2018 when a one Musanje Muhammad who claims to be the grandson of the previous owners of the land who mortgaged it in Uganda Commercial bank in 1989 showed up claiming the ownership of the land. Started threatening violence against Bukenya if he fails to vacate the land, cutting his animal, trees, injuring herdsmen, kidnapping his children in addition to filling cases in court and withdrawing them in September, 13, 2023 due to lack of evidence at high court Luwero, land division.
Bukenya who claims that he had 650 cows now remains with 300 after the rest were killed or stolen by Musanje and his group with allegedly the help of police and the Luwero Resident District Commissioner RDC.
Bukenya and three of his sons and daughter who were in great sorrow said that they have been reported various cases against Musanje to police and all relevant authorities including the lands ministry but they have not been helped and now their only hope is in president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s intervention since the people who work with Musanje claim to be from state house and he uses the security apparatus to defend him.
Bukenya Fred Ndyebazza, a son to Bukenya said that they now have been denied access to their land despite the ministry of land scheduling four public hearing over the same with Musanje making no appearance in all of them, and in some circumstances with the ministry commissioner saying that they have gotten orders from above to suspend the sittings.
Ndyebazza said they have been tortured several times for fighting for their lands thus called for president Museveni help and intervention since all the other authorities have sided with the purported land grabber.
According to the document seen by this website, the land at block 490 plot 3 Namuningi – Kamira estate was transferred from M/S Zirobwe farmers and traders to Kigaba Erismus Bukenya on 21, December, 2000.
Nalubega Peninah, the daughter to Bukenya asserts that when they report to the police about the killing and butchering of their animals, the DPC instead arrests their herdsmen. She said one of them was labelled a rebels because he identified the individuals who took part in the acts of killing their animals.
She said they live in fear and hiding. Their father gets calls threatening him and cautioning him to forget about the land if he doesn’t wants to be charged with treason charges or being killed. She thus called for president Museveni’ intervention and help them get justice.
Our efforts to talk to Musanje were futile since our calls didn’t go through by press time
