By Racheal N. Namuli
Wagagai Flower Farm Limited, located in Bufulu-Kasenyi, Katabi Town Council, is facing public backlash over a long-standing land dispute involving the Wagagai football pitch.
On Friday morning, angry residents from Bufulu-Nkumba stormed the football pitch and attempted to demolish a fence erected by the company, claiming Wagagai has failed to compensate 72-year-old Kajoiner Zainabu, widow of the late Ssenyonga Fred, the alleged rightful owner of the land.
According to locals, Ssenyonga Fred had settled on the disputed land since the 1970s and was a neighbor to seven other landowners, all of whom were reportedly compensated by Wagagai as part of its territorial expansion. At the time of these payments, residents say Ssenyonga was bedridden and had been taken to his village for medical treatment. He passed away shortly after.
Upon returning from the village after her husband’s burial, Kajoiner Zainabu says she found their land fenced off with barbed wire by Wagagai. With no compensation received and no alternative shelter, she forcefully entered the land and erected a makeshift structure in the middle of the football pitch, where she has lived ever since. Her current shelter is a small, grass-thatched hut supported by four wooden poles and partially covered with rags to block direct sunlight.
Lubowa Steven, a local elder, asserts that Kajoiner is the rightful heir to the land and that Wagagai’s executives were aware of her husband’s illness and absence during the time of compensation. He further claims that the company deliberately excluded her from the process despite knowing the circumstances.
Tinda Jackson, who was left behind to guard the land while Ssenyonga was receiving treatment, confirms that he too was forcefully evicted. He claims they have documents proving Ssenyonga’s ownership of the two-acre piece of land in question.
Today’s protest was reportedly fueled by frustrations over the slow pace of justice. The angry residents began tearing down the fence before being stopped by Kasenyi Police, led by Officer-in-Charge Katongole.
Kajoiner has made a public appeal to President Yoweri Museveni and other concerned authorities to intervene, alleging she is being harassed and threatened by unidentified individuals. She insists she only wants fair compensation so she can vacate the land peacefully.
Kasule Abdul, an LC official from Nkumba Bufulu, acknowledged that Kajoiner has been pleading for justice for a long time without success. He called upon well-wishers, human rights advocates, and religious leaders to intervene and help bring the matter to a fair resolution.
When contacted, Balondemu Joseph, the Human Resource Manager at Wagagai Flower Farm, declined to comment on the issue, stating that the matter is currently before the courts and the company will act based on the court’s ruling.
