Nakasongola District’s security committee has evicted approximately 2,000 individuals who had occupied a 10-acre land in Kikoiro Village, Lwampanga Sub-county, between December 15 and 16. The security team claims that the settlers, allegedly smuggled into the village by self-seeking individuals, posed a security threat and were misled with promises of 15 acres of land for resettlement.
The group’s leader, Mr. Milton Twehangane, is accused of conning the settlers of money under the false pretense of land purchase. However, Mr. Twehangane contends that he bought the land to settle the group in Nakasongola and other areas. The security committee, led by Mr. Saleh Kamba, the Resident District Commissioner, rejected Mr. Twehangane’s claims, stating that proper resettlement plans should have been communicated to Nakasongola authorities.
The group, referred to as the Mpokya group, reportedly came from various districts, including Kakumiro, Kibale, Sembabule, Kyegegwa, Kagadi, Buhweju, Kabarole, and Bunyangabu. They were allegedly evicted from the Mpokya Forest Reserve by the government in 1992. Following the eviction, they formed the Kitara Resettlement Association of Mpokya Limited and reportedly raised money to buy land in Nakasongola.
Mr. Twehangane reportedly purchased 53 acres of land in Nakasongola for the resettlement of over 5,000 people. The security committee argued that the resettlement was outside any known government procedure. Four individuals from the group reportedly died and were buried in Kikoiro, with the cause of death remaining uninvestigated.
The group members claim they paid money to Mr. Twehangane, expecting to receive 15 acres of land for resettlement. The eviction has led to the relocation of the majority of the group to districts such as Mubende, Kakumiro, and Sembabule.
