Anti-riot police on Friday rushed to Kasaala trading center in Luweero Sub County to restore order after residents staged demonstrations in protest of what they called unlawful arrest of their colleague and land grabbing by two Sudanese investors.
In 2011, two Sudanese investors Usama Gubara El Khidir and Omar Khidir Muhamed under their company, Goodman International, acquired a 44 year lease of the 120.9 hectares of land in Luweero and Butuntumula Sub Counties from Bukalasa land board to grow sugarcane.
On Friday morning, surveyors from Mark II Properties and Goodman International Limited alongside two police officers went to the home of Samuel Kasoma, one of the tenants and tried to survey his 10 acre piece of land. Kasoma resisted and accused them of trying to grab his land.
The police officers, Ahmed Ssekayi and Peter Kakooza attached to Luweero police Station reportedly attempted to arrest Kasoma attracting the neighbors to surround and beat them up.
An eyewitness, Minsisera Kayondo says that the angry residents wrestled with police officers and in the chaos, they mounted barricades on Gulu-Kampala road blocking traffic for over 30 minutes. Anti-riot police officers commanded by District Police Commander Samuel Bamuzibire rushed to the area and rescued the two police officers from the beatings.
The situation later normalized after DPC Bamuzibire ordered for immediate arrest of the two officers for engaging in an unlawful arrest.
Bamuzibire, while speaking to URN Reporter was apologetic over the incident and said the officers who were escorting the surveyors did it without his knowledge.
//Cue in: “No I was not aware………”//
Cue out: “……….weather it is criminal”//
Kizito Katongole, another affected tenant says that they have lived on the land for over four decades and they will not leave their land to pave way for sugarcane growing.
Last week, the Inspector General of police Lieutenant General Kale Kayihura ordered a probe committee commanded by Emmanuel Kusiima and Martin Aliko to investigate the investors and top Luweero district officials over allegations of land grabbing.
The probe committee has recorded statements from several officials including LC 5 Chairman Abdul Nadduli and Hood Luyima, the Bukalasa Land board chairman.
