Military Intelligence Report Pins Top City Lawyers In Kiruhura Murders Over Land Wrangle

A report by the Defense Intelligence and Security (DIS) of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) has pinned city lawyers in the Kiruhura district unsolved gruesome murder of at least four people and gravely injuring others over a longstanding land wrangle that dates way back in 1980s.

The land under contention belong to the family of late Christopher Kajundira and late Bishop Kosiya Shalita, the former bishop of Ankole dioceses. 

Late Kajundira’s land measures approximately one square mile located in omukyeera village Kayonza parish, Kikasi subcounty, Kiruhura district and is adjacent to late Bishop Shalita’s land located in Akenombero village separated by a stream as the official boundary.

               Litany

According to available court documents, in or around 1965, late Christopher Kajundira settled on land at Ekyeera upon allocation by then Gombolora chiefs in then Ankole subregion. These were; Edward Rutehenda, Nathan Rwakanuma and Alfred Mutashwera. 

The said land was located on Ekyeera hill and was neighboring then Nyakasharara subcounty, Kiruhura district. Then three chiefs had been using the said land to fatten their bulls before privately transferring it in writing to Kajundira who was migrating from Mitooma district. 

Further information indicates that in 1967, late Bishop Kosiya Shalita settled on an adjacent hill opposite Kajundira’s land. Shalita had also acquired the said land from Mr Mungonya who was then the commissioner for lands in Ankole kingdom, later its prime minister. 

The land was located at Ekimomo and Akainombero villages and measured approximately one and a half square mile. 

The two neighbors are reported to have lived in harmony until 1982 when Bishop Shalita attempted to extend his boundary into Kajundira’s land.

Kajundira instituted a case of trespass against Bp Kosiya Shalita before magistrate Grade II of Nyakasharara. The matter was resolved by the magistrate visiting the locus and replanting the boundary marks.

Shalita wasn’t satisfied and appealed to the chief magistrate court of Mbarara and later to High Court of Uganda, wherein the High Court overturned the whole process and ordered for retrial and Kajundira again won the case. 

In 1987, late Kajundira then sued the late Bishop Shalita in civil suit No 37 of 1987. The trial court again found that the conflict was a boundary dispute and the case was resolved by putting boundary marks giving Kajundira ¾ of the suit land and ¼ going to late Bishop Shalita.

The defendant late Bishop Shalita was again not happy with the court ruling and later filed civil Appeal No 76 of 1990 but unfortunately passed on in 1995. His son Norman Shalita applied for the letters of administration for the late father’s Estate for which was granted. 

           Trouble, Anguish 

In 1999, during the night, hell on earth befell the family of Christopher Kajundira after unknown heavily armed gangs with guns, grenades and machetes attacked the family and four people including a pregnant wife of Kajundira’s son one Charles Mutungi lost their lives. Two others were gravely injured including Mutungi’s son Abaho who was about two years who lost his armed after a bullet riddled his ankle. 

This time interestingly, the case which was initially boundary dispute had blown out into entire land grabbing of Christopher Kajundira. His family had to escape and resettled in Rwamwanja refugee camp in Kamwengye district after the destruction of their property and livestock in that earth scotching night of terror.

Police then carried out investigations and one Isaac Ndahiro, a Rwandese national and a nephew to late bishop Shalita was arrested. Another suspect was Debora Fred Renzyaho both charged with murder under Mbarara CRB 79/1999 and Mbarara criminal case No MMB 712/1999. 

These were arrested on orders of then Presidential advisor on political affairs Maj Kakooza Mutale. They were in prison for 8 months but their charges were discontinued against them by the DPP on December 22, 1999 by the DPP’s instructions dated December 16/ 1999. 

It is alleged that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) then ordered for Ndahiro’s file to be closed by police through the influence of the powerful connections in the judiciary. The file was then stolen from police archives and until today no one has ever been brought to books and the dead and injured are yet to receive justice. 

From prison, the highly connected Isaac Ndahiro started from where he had stopped and continued terrorizing Kajundira family and sons. 

To make sure that there was no one to follow from Kajundira family, his son in the army Maj Godfrey Muhoozi whom they saw as a threat was always in and out of jail on false charges or deployed in hard-to-reach areas to keep him away from near home. His father later died in the refugee resettlement camp where he was buried. 

           Intelligence Probe

According to a report by Defense Intelligence and Security (DIS) formerly CMI dated September 19, 2023 and signed by the Director General Maj Gen James Birungyi, in July 13th, 2013, an intelligence team from 2nd division headquarters and Special Forces Command -Ruhengyere visited the contested area with the view of verifying claims of malicious trespass and misuse of guns/involvement of UPDF by the family of Kajundira against Isaac Ndahiro who belongs to Shalita family. These had been official lies and false claims traded by Ndahiro to torment Kajundira family. 

They went on and traded similar claims to every highest office in the land including to the president. 

The military intelligence team discovered that in 2005, a one Anne Kyokunda, Kayoshe, Isaac Ndahiro and Goerge Nvengyeri forged the signature of late Bishop Shalita’s heir Norman Shalita to process Alease certificate of title in their names as tenants in common. Norman Shalita upon discovering the forgery dragged the suspects to court under HCCS NO 38 of 2007 still pending determination. 

“When the Bamugemereire led land commission visited Mbarara at Ntare hall in 2018, the Kajundira vs Shalita land dispute was brought to its attention. The commission determined that Ndahiro had no claims to the said land as neither administrator of late Shalita nor his own father Kayoshe whom the late bishop had brought under his care while he lived” CMI report reads.

Following the Justice Bamugemereire commission and presidential intervention, Isaac Ndahiro who was at the center of the reign of terror disappeared living his country home he had established on the land and his live stock. He is said to be in jail in Rwanda on several high-profile crimes.

However, after Ndahiro ran away from Kajundira family land, another powerful land grabbers have emerged.

These are led by Lawyer Joseph Matsiko a partner at Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA). Matsiko is a son in law of George Nvengyere who was Bishop Shalita’s cousin also brought under his care. 

Other suspects named in the report are; Halson Busingye a former UPDF brick supplier, and one also only identified as Nshemereirwe Renzyaho Deborah.

The intelligence team also discovered that the issue of illegal guns owned by Kajundira family is false intended to disorient security agencies and cause mayhem. 

It concludes that these are the same people who were the sponsors of Ndahiro’s nasty activities on Kajundira’s family land.

                             Appeal 

Local leaders in Kiruhura are appealing to President Museveni to urgently intervene and cause a meeting with them in order to end decades of terror and torment meted against the late Kajundira family.

Omugurusi Keith Bunanukye 90 years ,a retired former court clerk under Ankole sub region says while he was deployed in Kashongi under judiciary department, he received Keith Kajundira at his office at Kashongi subcounty with letter written by three Gombolola chief giving him the said land.

Bunanukye confirms that he went with then area leaders; one Nsubuga, the parish chief, one Ndyareba and showed Kajundira his land and its boundaries.

He adds that later in 1967, late Bishop Shalita also came to his office with land offer letter from Mungonya. He did the same and showed Shalita his land which was overlooking Kajundira’s on an adjacent hill.

He explained that he been part of all the court processes trying to solve the boundary dispute and wonders how Ndahiro and lawyer Matsiko Godfrey’s father-in-law who were not yet born when Shalita and Kajundira resettled in the area come in to claim the same land. 

He further wonders how a boundary dispute transforms into full land wrangle and wants the president to intervene and save the situation that had dragged on for many years.

John Katama the LCII Chairman for Kayonza parish says lawyer Matsiko and his group have bribed everyone in government and seeks a face to face with the president to hear their cries.

Katama also wants the president to prevail over the lawyer who he says has committed heinous crimes with impunity leading to the suffering of the late Kajundira family and his eventual death as a pauper in a refugee camp. 

The family says there have been many attempts to cancel the family land titles by coercing the district land office through the help of top government officials including justice and constitution affairs minister Nobert Mao, Attorney General’s office and junior minister for lands Sam Mayanja who is also a partner with lawyer Joseph Matsiko.