More than 50 households of Lwengoma Village in Ntaazo Sub-county, Sembabule District, have returned to land they claim to have occupied for decades, nearly three years after a violent eviction forced them to seek refuge at a local church.
Before returning, residents gathered at Ntaazo Pentecostal Church in Lwemiyaga, where they had lived since February 2023, for a morning of prayers seeking courage before reoccupying their ancestral land.
After prayers, they marched back to the contested Plot 1, Block 31 — approximately 623 acres — carrying belongings and leading livestock. Many arrived to find demolished homes and destroyed gardens, forcing some to start anew.
“This is where my home was, but it was demolished. I don’t care; I will sleep here with my family until we build another one,” said Edward Kasha, a resident.
“I spent 31 years on this land, and the person who sold it to me is still alive. All my banana gardens were cut. The people who evicted us are Bagalukayo and Ssekikubo.”
Dan Naurira added: “We have endured hardship for too long. Our children dropped out of school, our homes were destroyed, and we had nowhere to turn.”
The February 9, 2023, eviction was reportedly violent, leaving several people injured and displaced, some with lasting scars. Since then, residents have faced uncertainty and fear, particularly amid the presence of local police and army units deployed to prevent renewed clashes.
Residents say they reported the dispute to authorities, including police and local leaders, but received little action. They cite a court order issued on February 24, 2023, halting further evictions until ownership is legally determined — an order they claim was ignored by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Jane Francis Kagaayi.
“We wrote to State Minister for Lands Sam Mayanja, who promised to visit the land on February 12, 2026, but later canceled after Kagaayi intervened, saying we could reconcile locally,” said Umar Kalanzi, a victim.
“Where was the RDC in the last three years we spent in a church?”
Kagaayi, contacted by phone, acknowledged that residents were sheltering in the church but said she had not seen the specific court order. She urged calm while awaiting proper guidance to ensure justice.
The land dispute spans over 40 years and involves multiple claimants, including Crisensio Mukasa Bagalukayo, who asserts ownership and has appealed to authorities for protection, describing the residents’ return as illegal.
Public discourse links the dispute to prominent political figures, including outgoing MP Theodore Ssekikubo, who residents claim is supporting Bagalukayo.
Over the decades, the conflict has caused repeated court cases, violent confrontations, forced evictions, disrupted education, and prolonged poverty.
Under Ugandan law, long-term occupants may qualify as lawful residents depending on settlement history, and evictions require a valid court order, adequate notice, and consideration of alternative arrangements.
Residents have little choice but to return, even at the risk of confrontation, highlighting the persistent challenges of land tenure conflicts in rural central Uganda, where registered titles, customary tenure, and political influence often collide.
