More than 100 residents of Kasenyi village in Lwampanga Sub County in Nakasongola district have petitioned Isabaruuli Mwogezi Butamanya, the Buruuli cultural leader protesting their pending eviction by Luweero Industries. The affected residents occupy over 50 acres of land that is found near Kasenyi land site on the shores of Lake Kyoga and Nakasongola army barracks.
Recently, the management of Luweero Industries, the company that produces bullets for UPDF and Nakasongola army barracks ordered the residents to vacate the land saying that they were squatters. But Edward Ssekagya, the chairperson of the affected families says that the affected families have been occupying the land in question since 1960.
He says that their families acquired the land from the late George Kirya, who was appointed by the late Kumeketa as care taker of his land. Ssekagya says that when the army leadership asked them to vacate the land they asked the army to give them an opportunity to buy off the land or compensate but their proposal was rejected. He says that they have nowhere to go, yet the army is pressurizing them to leave the land.
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Lucy Kabuzungu, another resident says that her family has lived on the said land for four decades. She explains that her family is comprised of 20 people saying it would unfair to evict them without any compensation. 75-year-old Akol Oduku, says that he owns a five acre piece of land, on which his permanent house is built. Oduku says that he was shocked when the army ordered them to leave the land without any compensation.
He says that he and members of his family have nowhere to go and are ready to die for their land. In their petition, the residents want President Yoweri, Museveni to intervene and stop the army from evicting them without any compensation.
Isabaruuli Mwogezi Butamanya, the Buruli cultural leaders says that he is overwhelmed by the land grabbing and ongoing evictions of residents in his chiefdom.
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Lieutenant Jerome Kabagambire, the spokesman Nakasongola army barracks insists that affected families are illegal settlers, who have repeatedly been warned to vacate the army land. He says they have no plans to compensate the residents. The petition of the residents comes at a time when residents of Kapeke Sub County are also protesting the alleged grabbing of 300 acres of their land by some commanders of Singo Military Training school.
