Iganga Senior Police Officers DPC Elepot and CID Ogwanga in Trouble Over Aiding and Abetting Theft of sugar canes belonging to a Widow, Bitter President Museveni directs IGP Abas Byakagaba to Intervene and takes action on the errant officers.

By Abraham Lincolns

Iganga

Senior police officers from Iganga district DPC Eliya Elepot and area district CID Ogwanga Catherine are reportedly in trouble after president Yoweri Kagutta Museveni Tibuhaburwa directed their boss IGP Abas Byakagaba to immediately take action on the two errant officers following reports that they allegedly aid and abet theft of sugar canes belonging to a widow Nabirye Zurika 64yrs a resident of Namunkesu village, Namungalwe sub county in Iganga district.

 A communication seen by the Second Opinion Publications bitter Museveni who is in his campaign trails to retain the presidential seat said that he does not want to hear any parasite (Kawukumi)  in police again like before during the  reign of former IGP Kale Kayihura , he (Museveni) directed Byakagaba to take action on the  Iganga officers because what they are doing spoils the votes and image of NRM party in the country.

“I got a complaint  from the victim a widow Nabirye Zurika 64yrs a resident of Namunkesu village, Namungalwe sub county that your officers aided the theft of sugarcanes by protecting thieves to cut the sugarcanes and sell to Bugiri sugar factory, I order you to take immediate action on the officers and secondly the sugarcane cutting stops so that the widow gets justices”, read parts of the president’s directive on IGP Byakagaba”

 The president’s directive came after a 64-year-old widow  Zurika Nabirye  appealed to president Museveni over what she called illegal eviction from her land accusing the Iganga District Police Commander SSP Eliya Elepot and the OC CID D/SP Catherine Ogwang for reportedly conniving  with her co-wife identified as Namuganza Milly  to leave her homeless and stole her sugarcanes under the police protection.

 According to a letter dated 15th December, 2015 addressed to Brigadier General (Rtd) S.N Lukyamuzi, the head of the presidential task force on land matters and environment at  state house through her legal team of Mutembuli and Company Advocates, Nabirye also asked for  immediate intervention since the police authorities have instead sidelined with land grabbers to evict and harvest her sugarcane.

Nabirye Zurika a resident of Namunkesu village, Namungalwe Sub County in Iganga district says she was

violently evicted from her 100-acre piece of land filled with a sugar cane plantation that was eventually cut down and taken for sale by her co-wife a one Namuganza Milly with guard and security deployed by the DPC and CID.

Accusations of police involvement in the illegal eviction of widows in Uganda are a recurring issue, with several recent cases reported where officers were allegedly involved in or failed to prevent such actions.

Nabirye has been fighting to reclaim her land ever since her late husband, tycoon Kooda Charles who  died in November 2024 where Namuganza (also widow) purportedly obtained letters of administration on 30th

September 2025 yet the family had granted three family members to be given powers as administrators following   the certificate of administration dated on 15th April 2025.

“From 6th December 2025 up to date, the DPC and OC CID have sent police patrol vehicle Registration number UP 7000696 backed by security personnel and some local authorities to protect Namuganza while harvesting sugar cane well aware that the same does not belong to the estates of late Koda since he gifted it to our client”, the letter read in parts.

Reports indicate that police in various districts, such as Iganga have registered a rising number of widows seeking refuge at police stations due to illegal evictions and land grabbing by relatives. A 2024 report on forced land evictions in Uganda found that 25 of the cases reported between January and June 2024 were enforced by the Uganda Police.

The late Kooda, a former prominent and wealthy sugar cane out grower and a resident of Bukoli c’ Cell, Magamaga Town Council succumbed to heart attack with five wives and 15 children is said to have left over 10,000 hectares of land, buildings within the 11 districts and Jinja city from Busoga sub region with several vehicles and fatty bank accounts.

A letter dated 20th November 2025 by the chief inspector of courts Justice Stephen Musota addressed to the principal judge High court of Kampala recommended that the letters of administration solely granted to Namuganza be stayed pending the hearing of  Civil Suite No. 34 of 2025, miscellaneous applications No. 22 and 23 of 2025 and Civil Suite N0.3 of 2025, as to preserve the estate.

“Where the court issues Letters of Administration without following mandatory procedural requirements, such as hearing of  all petitioners, resolving caveats to determining pending applications, the grant becomes irregular and may be revoked under Section 234 of the Succession Act ”, the letter reads

Land grabbing becomes a significant problem in Uganda with vulnerable groups, particularly widows and

orphans, often targeted due to a lack of proper documentation, connections and power.

The government signed the Succession Act which provides a potential seven-year jail term for

individuals found guilty of unlawfully evicting a widow, widower, or orphans from their residential holding.

Efforts to get a comment from the IGP Abas Byakagaba by press time failed even  DPC and the OC CID went futile after several attempts of unanswered calls though vehicle Registration number UAY 654F was still ferrying more goons to scare away the old woman.