Minister Nabakooba halts eviction of 500 residents in Hoima

The Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, on Wednesday ordered over 500 people who had been evicted from the disputed land in Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties in Hoima District to return to land as investigations into ownership of the land continue.

The minister made the directive during a meeting with the affected residents and local leaders at Rukola Primary School in Rukola Village, Kapapi Sub County, Hoima District.

 “The exercise of eviction was done illegally, there was no court order and it was at night which means the exercise was illegal and these people currently have nowhere to stay; they are just moving around. I have visited the area and realised that their plots can be identified- I have directed the security committee that these people return to the land,” Ms Nabakooba said.

For those that were arrested, the minister directed that the matter be followed up and secure court bail for them. She promised that the affected residents would in the meantime get food relief from the ministry in charge of Bunyoro affairs.

The eviction started on February 10, in the villages of Waaki North, Kapapi Central, Waaki South and Kiryatete.

The affected residents have been pitching camp at Rwenyana Church in Kapapi while others are scattered within various trading centers, sleeping under trees and some staying with relatives.

The residents accuse Mr Gafayo Ndahura and six other people of “brutal” eviction where their houses were destroyed.

The land in dispute is about 2,545 acres, which the residents claim to have occupied since the 1960s.

In February last year, the affected residents dragged the duo to Masindi High Court and up to now the court has not given any ruling.

Mr Gafayo Ndahura, said they acquired the land title in 2008 and the evicted people have been renting since 2010. However their lease ended in 2020. 

“We started the process of acquiring the land title in 2004 and we got the land title in 2008.  We have a land tenancy agreement and documents where they have applied to us to renew their tenancy which we rejected because we also want to start using our land,” he said.

Mr Ndahura claims they were denied access to the land since June last year.

“Its true we removed these people from our land and they are about 10 families but we are not the ones who destroyed their houses, there is another group of people whom they had conflict with over past years and they are the ones who destroyed their houses,” he said.