KIRA LAND ROW: RDC named in kidnap as lawyers rush to PM, Rugunda

By Francis Otucu

KIRA MUNICIPALITY Resident District Commissioner (RDC) has been named in the kidnap of Bernard Kanakulya, a member of the family of the late Anthony Sewattiand.

The family, through 85-year-old Alice Nabitosi is cuttently battling two people in a bibanja land row at Kito, Kira Municipality, Wakiso district.

The kidnap, according to lawyers of Kikomeko, Kayiira & Co. Advocates was reported against the RDC Vide SD Ref 72/11/19/2019 of Kira Division Police.

“We understand that the purpose of the unlawful kidnaps are to provide grounds for kifeesi surrogate gangs to forcefully fence off the said bibanja in favor of the said Winnie Tugume Hasifa Namukasa,” part of the petition to Premier, Ruhakana Rugunda reads in part.

The letter dated March 24, 2020 added, “Our clients concer is that, currently the RDC comes to our client’s land in company of persons he introduces as official operatives from the President’s office (Aidah Tegeki), they miss-interprete the court orders and dictate that the said Winnie Tugume and Hasifa Namukasa should take over possession of our clients’ bibanja more so over matters that are being litigated by court.”

This, lawyers say, has resulted into Sekasamba and Namukasa slashing their clients’ gardens down in broad day light.

Now, lawyers want the intervention of government in the matter.

“The purpose hereof is to seek for your indulgence as the vanguard of the law to call in the relevant government institutions officials to operate within but not to abuse the law and to respect the rights of our clients and the institutions from which they obtained legitimate help,” lawyers say.

For some time now, Nabitosi, has accused Winnie Tugume and Hasifa Namukasa of plotting to grab her land comprised at  Kyadondo Block 185, Plot 385 at Kito, Kira Division, Namugongo.

“The families of our clients have lived on their bibanja for over 50 years but one of their neighbors a one Hezekiah Mukiibi who was a surveyor for their Landlords of the estate of the late KLB Kisosonkole fraudulently acquired titles on some sections of their land and he attempted to use them to grab their land,” Nabitosi’s lawyers traced the root of the land row.

According to the two page letter, with the assistance of court, local leaders, previous RDCs declined to hold unlawful evictions and as a result, Mukiibi was investigated and repulsed.

Nabitosi’s lawyers now say she lives in fear given actions of Ssekasamba.

“…Mr. Joseph Ssekasamba became RDC of the area, he started corruptly conspiring with the said Hezekiah Mukiibi, Winnie Tugume together with another habitual land grabber called Hasifah Namukasa and are back at their attempts to unlawfully deprive our cients including 85 year old nabitosi Alice of their bibanja through causing fear using intimidation/threats of arresting our clients,” her lawyers noted.