Locals in Muko Sub County and Katojo Town Council, Rubanda District, are accusing officials from Karengyere Agricultural Research Centre, a branch of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), of land encroachment during fresh boundary demarcation.
Situated atop Karengyere Hills, Karengyere Agricultural Research Centre is a government facility known for researching Irish potato varieties. Last week, under police protection, center officials led by manager Ivan Mwesigye accessed land where locals had crops and began marking boundaries for fencing. They also cleared trees planted by some locals.
These actions left residents furious, alleging that officials demarcated land where many have lived for over 20 or 30 years. According to locals, approximately 700 acres spanning about 300 households in villages like Byeeza, Rwakagurusi, Kashambya, Kagano, Karengyere Centre, Rushekye A, Rushekye B, Nyamiyaga, and Igabiro were marked.
On Monday, locals gathered at Karengyere playground for a demonstration until sub-county security authorities, led by Bruno Musiimenta, intervened to calm tensions. Christine Tusingwiire, LC1 Chairperson of Nyamiyaga village, Herbert Muhanguzi of Karengyere Centre, and Jasper Burahi Emponokwa, councilor for Karengyere parish, expressed surprise at officials appearing and marking land without prior consultation for harmony. They claim attempts to question were met with resistance. Locals threaten to take matters into their own hands if government officials do not intervene.
Emmanuel Nsubuga, Butare Town Council LC3 Chairman, and Patrick Abeneimwe, Muko Sub County LC3 Chairman, accuse NARO officials of failing to notify local leaders about the demarcation, which could have prevented conflicts with locals.
Kenneth Malenga, another concerned resident, states his parents acquired land title plot number 4 in the late 1970s or early 1980s, yet NARO is demarcating it as plots 7 and 8, claiming a title dating back to 1922. Malenga is pursuing legal action to challenge this overlap.
Bruno Musiimenta, Gomborora Internal Security Officer (GISO), advised angry locals against vigilante actions, urging them to use legal channels to address grievances.
When contacted, Ivan Mwesigye, manager of Karengyere Agricultural Research Centre, asserted that he was fulfilling his mandate to protect NARO’s land by using GPS technology for boundary demarcation. He suggests that frustrated locals may lack titles to the disputed land, insisting that all marked areas have legitimate titles. He encourages aggrieved locals to seek clarification from NARO officials.
