Over the last couple of years, Kyangwali Sub County in Kikuube district has been at the centre of media attention regarding issues of refugee settlement in western Uganda. Many refugees from Rwanda started to live in Kyangwali when the settlement was opened in the 1960s, while those from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo also began coming to the location in around the 1990s. It is estimated that more than 38,000 people lived in Kyangwali by the year 2015, and the number of residents rose to 83,558 in 2018.
As of January 2021, the population of Kyangwali was estimated to have reached 125,039 in 42,428 separate households. Of these, 81% were women and children, while 19% were young people aged between 15 and 24 years. This indicates the level of vulnerability such a population has in terms of their ability to ensure a safe, resilient, and healthy community. There have been cases of cholera outbreaks, especially in the refugee settlements, an increased reduction in forest cover, as well as tension over natural resources between the host and the immigrant communities.
Currently, it is the residents of Kamwokya village in Kasonga parish, Kyangwali Sub County, living in fear of being evicted as preparations are underway to have their ancestral land acquired for the purposes of constructing a military barracks. This is not unfamiliar because a similar case occurred in Booma Village, Butiaba Sub-county in Buliisa district in which the residents were requested to surrender part of their 1,700-acre community land to construct a military barracks and have never received adequate compensation for close to 20 years now. Instead, over 300 families were dispossessed by some powerful businessmen, being guarded by men with guns, who even went as far as seeking eviction orders from the Magistrates’ court in Masindi.
The affected families were later astounded when they were not invited to appear in court to defend their claims and only to hear that a ruling had been passed against their occupancy without being present or at least having representation. In this case, it was maintained that the said land belongs to one Kahwa, who is also alleged to be closely working with Maj Gen Mugisa to intimidate the evicted members of the community. Many people who were interviewed about this matter intimated that government offices and public officials are involved in land grabbing and also connive with the Magistrate’s Court in Masindi to legitimise their fraudulent claims.
Talking to the RDC of Kikuube district, Amulani Tumusiime, he said that anybody planning to evict communities has to first notify his office with justifiable reasons and also hold several dialogue meetings with the affected parties. He further reiterated in a press conference that all matters concerning land disputes in Kikuube district have been caused by ignorance, illiteracy, and selfish interests among leaders who conspire with fraudsters to evict the vulnerable.
One of the eye witnesses, who preferred anonymity, explained that the majority of land tenure problems are due to weaknesses in the tenure governance arrangements in place. He argued that the majority of people on the land boards across the country are not trustworthy and usually approve the issuance of land titles to only those who have the ability to pay a ransom. He further noted that the residents adjacent to the land at issue are usually not involved, but instead a few elites and leaders are mobilised to represent their local communities. In some cases, imposters have gone to the community, pretending to be government officials, and gathered signatures in order to support systematic mapping, but instead used the information during court proceedings as evidence of consent that the contested land was sold and voluntarily handed over to the claimants.
The Executive Director of the Landcode Initiative, Richard Muganzi, noted that many conservative schools of thought argue that registration of land under informal tenure arrangements exposes it to further grabbing, but it is the only way the owners can legally claim their ownership rights without much contestation. He advocated for systematic mapping and participatory demarcation of such land held by local communities that is likely to be targeted for large-scale business investments in agriculture, extractive industries, or other prospects. This, he said, is important because the never-ending land-related conflicts are threatening local production and food security systems in the communities, which is having a gradual impact on national economic development.
Unfortunately, Kikuube does not have a chairperson of the district land board at the moment, and this aggravates the problem. However, the district chairperson indicated that the appointment of a substantive person into this position is expected in due course. He further warned the land owners who have fraudulent land titles that measures would be taken to ensure their cancellation after the appointment of the new land board. Hon. Nestoli Tumwesigye, the area district councillor of Kyangwali A, noted that his area faces many tenure challenges where communities have been forcefully evicted, especially from Bukinda, and now similar rumours are being heard on the Kamwokya land. He expressed support for the construction of the barracks but criticised the methods of acquisition that are being used. He advised that at least they should clearly put their interests on the discussion table and have meetings with residents in order to agree on the period of relocation and more so, adequately compensate them. However, there are several reports now emerging from various sources that a certain individual is vying for this contested land, although his or her identity is yet to be established. This trend of events has been happening in different parts of the Kikuube district, such as areas of Buhuka parish, Butoole parish, among others.
Talking to Mzee Kyamanywa, an elder of Ngogoli village in Kyangwali, he narrated the historical background of his area and was grieved to see that local communities are forcefully evicted without equitable compensation for their foregone rights. He cited an example of some ownership wrangles affecting Kyangwali health centre VI, where those interested in the land are government officials attached to the office of the prime minister. He also revealed that Kamwokya village is one of those areas whose residents have been in peaceful occupation for over 150 years and it is surprising that outsiders can claim its ownership. According to him, no one other than the Bunyoro Kitara kingdom can claim ownership of the contested land because the late Kyangwali was the one who invited and settled its occupants in accordance with the king’s right.He maintains that this land acquisition and ownership dispute is unfortunate because those involved in these transactions are aware that their intentions are illegal and that the entire process is fraudulent.
Story by Ariinda Twaikya