Residents of Akanara Cell 1, Keitanturegye Parish, Kinoni sub-county in Kiruhura district have expressed dissatisfaction over the concerned authorities’ delay in solving the mailo land wrangles between Mujuni Enock who claims the ownership of the land and has its tittle and tenants who have stayed on the land for long.

In a meeting with the sub-county authorities on Thursday, Natamba Charles, the LC I Chairman Akanara cell revealed that it now about ten years since the land wrangles in his cell started but till this day they have never been resolved.

Colleb Kanori, the chairman LC II for Katanturegye parish says the different authorities have failed to calm down the situation surrounding the disputed mailo land.

Mujuni Enock, the alleged mailo land owner accuses tenants of harassment emphasizing that tenants should not build permanent houses on his land.

Geofrey Atuheire, one of the affected tenants also confirmed that Mujuni wants to evict them from the land and he doesn’t want people to build.

Byaryakijuka chalse, also a tenant says they are being physically and psychologically tortured and threatened to leave the land.

Following the complaints, Mbasa Alex, the Kinoni sub-county chief, urged Mujuni, the mailo land owner and the tenants to devise means to live together in harmony.

Mbasa asked the chairman LC1s to always hold meetings with residents in the villages.

Story by Mutatiina Medison

Residents of Nyamuswiga cell in Kashungura ward, Kagongo Division in Ibanda Municipality face a threat of hunger, following an incident where a storm destroyed crops on Tuesday.

The residents revealed that the devastating storm which lasted for about five minutes destroyed bananas, beans, cassava, fruit and avocado trees.

Apollo Bigirwa, the LC I chairperson Nyamuswiga cell said that although no one was injured in the storm, but one house was destroyed, said the village leader while registering residents affected by the storm on Wednesday morning.

Bigirwa has called for food aid from the government after crops for over 200 households in Nyamuswiga were destroyed in this storm.

Bernard Taremwa, a father to three school-going children, said they will not be able to afford fees and school lunch for their children.

“We have lost our means of survival,” said Taremwa.

Clemensia Baziigatire, 83, also noted that she is worried about how she will survive after half of her banana plantation and cassava were destroyed by the storm yet she does not eat posho.

Adrian Kweyamba, the Kagongo Division chairperson, said they were going to register all the affected households and forward the information to relevant authorities for possible intervention.

Kweyamba, however, urged the residents to plant wind breakers in their land boundaries to reduce the impact of such storms in the future. 

Kitagwenda district councilors have refused to convene a planning council meeting over non-payment of their ex-gratia and committee allowances.

The decision followed a closed meeting between the councilors and Kitagwenda chief administrative officer (CAO) Richard Ssebandeka at the district offices on Monday.

The boycott which was announced around 1pm prompted an emergency meeting of the district top leadership, including the CAO, LC V Chairman Ismail Mushemeza, speaker James Baguma, DPC Henry Mugarura, the RDC and DISO.

After the meeting that lasted about an hour, Mushemeza said the money was already on the district general account but they have no rights to access the money.

Although the councilors refused to discuss the matter with the media, sources indicate that the councilors were protesting non-payment of their ex-gratia and sitting allowances for attending committee meetings and council and committees on empty stomachs.

The other grievance, the source said, was lack of implementation of a number of council resolutions, including failure to provide council a list of all district employees to weed out ghost workers.

Councillors are entitled to a pay of UGX 175,000 each per month as ex-gratia while their council and committee sitting allowance is got from 20 percent of local revenue collection in the district.

Meanwhile Kitahwenda CAO, Richard Sssebandeke, explained that the issue of delayed ex-gratia is a national challenge that is being experienced by other districts across the country, adding that the ministries concerned are working to address it.

On the way forward, district speaker, James Baguma said the leadership has agreed to hold the aborted council meeting on September 29.

Police in Kazo have arrested one suspect in connection with the kidnap of a one day old baby from Kyenshebashebe-Ntambazi parish, Kazo Sub-county, Kazo district on Sunday.

John Lukooto, the Kazo district Police Commander (DPC) confirmed the incident and identified the suspect as Twinamatsiko Hope. 

Twinamatsiko reportedly connived with the woman who took the baby.

Ninsiima Joviitah, the mother to this baby says that another suspect (who is still at large) went to her home and asked to take them to the hospital to give them help of food and money.

Ninsiima says that she then called two boda bodas; one carried the mother of the baby while another carried the suspect with the baby.

Ninsiima adds that while on their way, the suspect directed the boda boda man to ride  towards Ibanda  leaving the mother on the way to Kazo health centre IV where upon reaching, the woman who had carried the baby was nowhere to be seen.

Kamazoba Leonard, the grandmother to the baby revealed that the suspect came to their home and offered to take all mothers with newly born babies to hospital for help.

Laurence Twinamatsiko  , the chairman of LC I Kyenshebashebe cell who condemned the act said that he got information from his defence after church service and asked the security to intervene in this matter and bring the suspect to book.

Lukooto noted that investigations into the matter are still on-going.