Africa-Press – Uganda. Police yesterday dispersed a Kawempe Council meeting that had intended to discuss the ongoing land conflict between Makerere University and the residents of Katanga.
Councillors in a newly adopted move to convene field council meetings around the division, were only 10 minutes into the meeting at Katanga Football Pitch in Kimwanyi Zone when police led by area officer in-charge, ASP Amulen Pauline, arrived.
Ms Amulen told the council that she was not aware of the sitting.
She arrived at a time when residents had been reporting their ordeal. “Powerful people want to see us off this land and perhaps they are the ones who have commissioned the police to disperse the council meeting,” a resident said.
But Ms Amulen said her role was to enforce the Covid-19 rules. Fearing they would be arrested, the councillors took to different directions with the speaker stealthily removing his gown and quickly jumping onto a motorcycle.
There is unrest among the people of Katanga facing eviction after it emerged last week that Makerere University was intending to develop the disputed 37 acres of land at Katanga Valley near Wandegeya even when there is a pending court case.
The High Court in Kampala in 2015 ruled that four family members and their licensees on the land at Katanga Valley were bona fide occupants and are by law entitled to continue occupying the land.
The four family members are Jonathan Yosamu Masembe, Bulasio Buyisi, George Kalimu, and Samalie Nambogga.
On August 11, the Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, invited various stakeholders to offer them an update about Makerere’s planned developments.
Council resolution
In yesterday’s council meeting, Kawempe Division Speaker Justus Akampulira said his council had adopted a move to rotate their sittings within communities and discuss issues affecting the electorate.
“We will not accept Makerere to suppress the community living on this land. We will fight on until we achieve justice for our electorates,” Mr Akampurira said.
Makerere University Councellor Yudaya Nakubulwa said the university cannot evict a poor population.
“Makerere is a government institution, I don’t see the university acting selfishly,” Ms Nakubulwa said.
Meanwhile lawyers of a pastor, who also has a church on the said land, have accused Makerere University of extrajudicial means to evict the tenants in total disregard of the court’s orders.
“The university has on numerous occasions used police to unlawfully evict our client and other residents,” the lawyers Mungoya, Mabonga Wakhaka & Co Advocates wrote.
He cited the August 11 letter by the vice chancellor to local leaders whose jurisdiction falls within the Katanga Valley land.
“The university is using monkey tricks, (playing) nefarious and unlawful acts,” the lawyers wrote.
Land acreage
Court documents indicate that the disputed land comprises three zones situated on 37 acres, which have since been occupied by the complainants and their licencees.
However, the university claims to own 277 acres contrary to the 10.315 hectares on the land title in their possession.
