Africa-Press – Uganda. Residents in Buzilanjovu village Nakisunga Sub-county Mukono District have accused an investor who claims to have bought their village of blocking them from getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
Residents say since the vaccination exercise kicked off in March this year, none of the residents has ever received their vaccine jab as the said investor tightened security at the entrance of the village.
This was said last Thursday during a village meeting where residents petitioned State House officials from the land protection unit to intervene in the matter they described as human rights and land issues.
As a result, the officials from State House ordered the investor’s security guards to vacate before a team of health officials entered to vaccinate the residents.
Nalufu Kotida, a senior resident village chairperson, said the investor identified as Jonathan Right claims to have bought the entire village and yet he has not compensated some people.
“The investor blocked the road to this village and put guards from Dual security services plus a police post. He has been blocking us as well as our visitors from entering or leaving the village,” she said.
Another resident, Mr Emmanuel Kisule, also said Jonathan’s guards had blocked them from accessing other services like health services.
“One day we lost a child at that investor’s so called check point (entrance to the village). The security guards blocked us from rushing the child to hospital in the presence of police officers, claiming they were given orders from above not to allow anybody to move out or in,” Mr Kisule said.
He said the child died as the private guards and officers looked on and were ordered to take back the body for burial.
Another resident, Richard Luwama said he was blocked from cultivating on the land on grounds that it was bought by Jonathan who wants to start up Buzilanjovu development project in the area.
Mariam Namayanja (left) from state house ordering the investor’s security to vacate
“When a security guard gets you eating mangoes, he will ask you where you got the mangoes from and you will get flogged. We are suffering as if we are not in our country,” he said.
The Local Council III chairperson, Mr Mubarak Ssekikubo said the land was sold with Bibanja holders on it.
He said unspecified number of residents were compensated, eight families were partially compensated while 55 were not paid at all.
“We advised the investor to compensate all residents but still some haven’t and he is the very person denying residents their rights,” Mr Ssekikubo said.
Zlikisa Nakiryada pinning the investor for not compesating her in a meeting over the investor
He said residents have missed out on several government programmes/services just because of the actions of Johnathan.
“Health officials, teachers and students have been denied access to the village so as to give services to the people and also residents can’t go to hospitals, including those who need antenatal care. Some have died,” he said.
Mr Jonathan, however, said he bought the land in 2006 with the plan to develop it and compensated 240 residents with Shs1.4 billion. He said nobody was evicted and that state house officials were aware of it.
“I compensated 240 residents with Shs1.4billion. Some came to Kampala and others had their money put in front of them in this village, including the young boys who didn’t have parents because I wanted to be kind to the people,” Jonathan.
“Investigations have been done twice by State House and I have the documents,” he said
Jonathan’s lawyer, Gonzaga Kironde Sekandi said they wanted to carry out fact finding but residents refused and claimed they were not compensated and that the dispute is now in court.
Kotida Nalufu, a resident complaining in a meeting over the investor
Ms Mariam Namayanja, the principle private secretary to President Museveni on land matters at State House land protection unit said her team was sent by Mr Museveni to intervene in the dispute.
She said the residents ought to fully enjoy their rights in the village and immediately ordered the investor’s security officers to vacate and to stop blocking the road to the village. She said the security officers ought to be guarding Jonathan’s home and what belongs to him (property) instead.
“People are not supposed to be denied a right to the vaccine, or denied to receive visitors and others,” Ms Namayanja said.
She also directed that the police post be removed and ordered the DPC to get another place to be independent.
She said residents who are yet to be compensated have a right to access their land.
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