We Need the President’s Intervention – Locals Cry Over Widow Cum Land Grabber

By Our Reporter 

Mbarara – Locals and leaders from Bubare sub-county in Kashari South Mbarara district have called on President Museveni  and other government authorities to intervene into their land matters where a mafia widow is grabbing  community/government land.

They are accusing a widow named Joy Rwamahe and her children who have grabbed 14 hectares of land that belonged to Bubare sub-county and some few individuals.

According to the sources, it said that the land belonged to the late Frank Kyatuuka Rwamahe who sold the it to Bubare sub-county and some individuals whom he also sold some other pieces of land before he died. Rwamahe believed that he happened to work as LC3 Chairman for Bubare in the past years.

Later when Rwamahe died, his wife a one Joy Rwamahe and her children came up and claimed the sub-county land that her husband sold it illegally. She went to court and received judgment which the locals say, had loopholes.

According to the LC3 chairman Bubare sub-county Perez Kaberebere said that when Rwamahe died, the family took the sub-county to court claiming for the land where the sub-county had put a livestock market.

He said that the ruling was made in favour of joy Rwamahe. “Me as the current chairman I am sure that the land belongs to the sub-county and there is evidence showing that Rwamahe sold us the land, these people took to us to court and surprisingly court ruled in favour of the complainants when we were not called in court to testify, they only called us to court on the day of ruling. We don’t know which evidence did the court consider when for us we didn’t give our our affidavit.

We have all the documents that hold evidence about the land in dispute, we are still consulting our legal people to take another step. We want the government to intervene and fight for the government land,” Kaberebere; the LC3 Chairman said.

Speaking to journalists in Mbarara city from Star Gardens, the locals allege that there was connivance between the family of Rwamahe and the late Robert Kanene, former LC3 chairman who aided Joy Rwamahe to take the land.

According to the one of the elders Can. Jackson Bwisho former and founder LC3 Chairman Bubare Sub-county narrated how the sub-county bought the land during his tenure.

He said that as the former LC3 Boss by then, was the one who bought the land on behalf of the sub-county where they had had put a livestock market. He added that he collected money from the locals and paid the late Rwamahe whom they paid about 112,000/= in 1981.

“During my time we bought this land from the late Rwamahe and put a livestock market. But I was absolutely confused when I heard that the widow Joy Rwamahe and her children are claiming the same land that we bought with our own money.

Why didn’t court call me and my fellows to testify about the history of this land other than siding with one party, this means there was corruption in the ruling.

I am calling upon the President to intervene into these matters to secure the government land. Corruption has totally spoiled our country, I therefore call up on the authorities to arrest these people who are trying to grab our sub-county land,” Bwisho said.

According to the locals who were part of this case said that they have been in court for about 10 years. They were sued alongside the sub-county by Joy Rwamahe, Taka Rwamahe, and Barbra Akankunda.

Frank Kagimbe one of the locals who is also accused in the case said that for them they were only tenants on the land under the tenancy of the sub-county. “We have been hiring this land from the sub-county until we were chased away by Joy Rwamahe,”  Kagimbe said.

When these matters went beyond the control of community leadership, locals petitioned the anti-corruption agency called Global Anti-corruption Initiative who are taking the matter.

Moses Kakama executive director Global Anti-corruption Initiative said that they are yet to verify the judgement on how court ruled in favour of Joy Rwamahe whom the locals accuse of grabbing their land.

“For us our role in this, we shall check with court to find out the grounds on which they based to rule out on this case. We shall investigate this matter and we take to the relevant authorities to take action.

We shall support these people as agency to open a new case against Joy Rwamahe so that they can retain their land. We have recommended that for us we shall go to court and verify the judgement that was made on this matter,” Kakama said.