Former State minister for Lands, Idah Nantaba, narrowly avoided a violent confrontation with land tenants on Sunday evening in Lugasa village, Kahonza Sub County, Kayunga District. The incident unfolded during a meeting organized by Rev Can Yusuf Turyomwe, who claims ownership of a 40-acre piece of disputed land in Lugasa village, with the intention of discussing boundary issues and ground rent with his tenants.
Ms. Nantaba, who also serves as the Kayunga District Woman Member of Parliament, seized the opportunity to address the residents. However, her speech quickly escalated tensions as she accused local leaders, including the Kayonza Sub County LCIII chairman, Mr. John Muramuzi, and Member of Parliament for Bbaale County, Mr. Charles Tebandeke, of corruption and collusion in land grabbing activities.
Both Mr. Tebandeke and Mr. Muramuzi vehemently denied the allegations, leading to further unrest among the tenants who demanded a focus on resolving the land dispute at hand. As emotions ran high, Ms. Nantaba’s attempt to engage with the crowd resulted in her being confronted by a female tenant named Shakirah, followed by an attempt by residents to physically assault her.
Simultaneously, the elderly landlord, Rev Can Turyomwe, also became a target of the angry mob, receiving physical blows. Ms. Nantaba’s security detail from the Special Forces Command intervened to extract her and the landlord from the volatile situation, resorting to the use of force in the process.
Amid the chaos, Ms. Nantaba managed to leave the scene under tight security, while Rev Can Turyomwe was taken into custody by police officers from Kayonza, who arrived promptly. At the Kayunga central police station, Officer in Charge Mr. Raymond Odong requested documentation from Turyomwe to verify his claim of ownership over the disputed land, which he asserts to have acquired in 2018 from the late Kitaka Gawera.
However, Mr. Tebandeke alleged fraudulent acquisition of the land title by Turyomwe and called for its cancellation to protect the tenants from potential eviction. Following the altercation, Ms. Nantaba distanced herself from the land issue, stating that she had withdrawn her involvement, citing a lack of understanding from the tenants regarding her intentions to mediate the dispute.
Ms. Nantaba’s involvement in land-related controversies dates back to her appointment as State minister for Lands in 2012, during which she claimed to combat land grabbing in Kayunga District. However, she was later reassigned to the Ministry of ICT after accusations of political interference in land matters and was eventually dropped from the cabinet in 2019.
