| Date | Location | Incident | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, October 23, 2023 | Galilaya Sub-County’s Kasokwe Village, Kayunga District | Local residents attack and disarm UPDF soldiers during a land dispute involving GM Sugar | UPDF spokesperson Brig Felix Kulayigye condemns the incident; Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and police launch a manhunt for the eight individuals responsible |
In an alarming incident in Kayunga District, a group of local residents attacked and disarmed four UPDF soldiers who were deployed to protect GM Sugar workers involved in a land dispute. The incident occurred in Galilaya Sub-County’s Kasokwe Village on Monday, October 23, 2023. The attackers, who were reportedly relatives of Ssabanyala Maj Baker Kimeze, accused their sibling of fraudulently selling family land to GM Sugar. The cultural leader has refuted this claim.
During the attack, the assailants not only beat and disarmed the soldiers but also threatened to kill them, ordering them to sit on the ground. Despite the humiliation, the soldiers maintained their composure and refrained from retaliating.
Brig Felix Kulayigye, the UPDF spokesperson, expressed his gratitude that the soldiers did not resort to violence, stating, “You can’t touch on my gun, and I let you go scot-free.” He also placed blame on what he referred to as poor parenting for the incident.
The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the police have intensified their efforts to apprehend the eight individuals responsible for the attack. Kayunga District Police Commander (DPC) Rosette Sikahwa confirmed that police have gathered the names and telephone contacts of the culprits, some of whom have reportedly fled to Kampala to evade capture.
The contested land in question is believed to have belonged to late Sarah Nanyonga, the granddaughter of the deceased Adam Kikonyogo. Nanyonga allegedly sold the land to Megha Ltd, which subsequently sold it to GM Sugar.
Security measures have been heightened in Galilaya to prevent any further escalation of the situation. Police have initiated two separate case files, one to investigate the attack on the soldiers and the other to address charges of assault, malicious damage, and threatening violence.
In the aftermath of the attack, Tony Mpagi, the heir to the late Nathan Mpagi (father of some of the youth involved in the assault), issued an apology. The late Nathan Mpagi and President Museveni were friends during the bush war, and it was President Museveni who encouraged one of Mpagi’s children, Ssabanyala Maj Kimeze, to join UPDF after graduating from Makerere University.
