Lands minister intervenes in Mityana land disputes, residents accuse RDC of conspiracy

The residents who were evicted from their places of residence, said a man identified as Ddungu Buuza was behind the evictions after obtaining ownership of the pieces of land through deceptive means which included him presenting himself as a land broker.

Nabakooba, who made the remarks during a meeting to resolve the land disputes in Mityana, urged the residents to be cautious of such people who promise to get them land titles or letters of administration.

“I urge you to be extremely careful of the kind of people who come to you while presenting themselves as brokers,” she said, adding that such people need to be reported immediately

The minister’s remarks came at the backdrop of a heated land dispute in Namigave village, Kikandwa sub-county in Mityana district where a family of six accused Buuza of deceptively obtaining ownership of their vast land measuring 80, 250 acres and one square mile.

The family said they consulted Buuza who they considered to be a trusted family friend on how to obtain letters of administration.

According the David Mpiima, who is a family member, Buuza was later asked by the family to help them get land titles for their land.

“Buuza came to us when we had disagreements as a family. We asked him to help us get letters of administration and land titles for our land which he agreed to do,” Mpiima said.

The family said they resolved to sell to Buuza 30 acres of land at a cost of sh450m.

Mpiima however said he convinced them to make an agreement with him showing they had sold the land to him after promising he would pay the money over time.

“We trusted Buuza because he was a family friend. So, we entered into an agreement with him that he had bought 30 acres of land from us. We didn’t question his motives because we thought he would eventually pay up,” Mpiima said.

At the center of this dispute is the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Africano Aharikundira, who was accused by the residents of conspiring with Buuza to defraud their land.

The residents who showed anger during the meeting said Aharikundira was protecting the culprit Buuza who they said had rendered them homeless.

“We are sceptical of our RDC. We believe he has been working with Ddungu who has been making our life hard by rendering us homeless after defrauding us of our land,” a woman who preferred anonymity told this reporter.

The residents were however urged to keep calm by the Busunju town officer-in-charge, John Mafabi, who told them Buuza was arrested with the aim bringing him up to order.

According to Mafabi, Buuza came up with a false narrative that he was closely working with the RDC something he said was not true. He said this could have prompted them (the residents) into thinking that the RDC was a conspirator

“I urge you resident to keep calm. When Buuza was arrested from Kikandwa, we felt he needed to be taken to Mityana so we show him that what he was doing was wrong. Unfortunately, when his file delayed and we released him, he came up with a narrative that he was closely working with the RDC which was wasn’t true. I believe this narrative prompted you into thinking he was working with the RDC which wasn't true,” he said.

However, some of the residents in Kasikombe parish in Mityana district defended Buuza saying the residents who took his money were in the wrong.

“Buuza is not the problem. People take his money and thereafter turn around and deny ever receiving his money,” one of them shouted from the audience.

Other residents such as Godfrey Nsubuga also came out saying Buuza defrauded them.

“I lost about seven acres of land to Buuza who promised to give me sh45m. He said he gave me sh5m, but I didn’t receive anything from him,” he said.

Another one identified as Natukunda Jovia was evicted out of her house after Buuza said he had bought the property from her relative something she said wasn’t true.