By Spy Uganda
Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema, the head of the State House Anti-corruption Taskforce, has ordered for the arrest of Ugandan of Indian origin tycoon Abid Alam, over allegations that he directed his employees to gang rape, torture, destroy plantations and evict locals from contested land located in Kasanda, Mubende
This website has since learnt that Nakalema has directed Abid Alam to report to Kassanda Police Station to record a statement over violence and torture meted out to locals by his employees, failure to do which he will arrested at his own peril and cost.
Nakalema’s orders came a few days after news circulated that last week, a group of over 50 people suspected to be Abid Alam’s employees, attacked homes and a farm at Bukompe village, in Kassanda, where they cut down all the plantations and demolishing houses, before they severely battered one of the residents identified as Samuel Kyabale and later gang-raped his wife.
Kyakabale said that “The attackers broke into my house at about 11:00pm, before they raped my wife. I tried to defend her and that was when a group of about three men descended on me leaving me with a deep cut on the head, among other injuries. I then lost consciousness as my wife was being gang-raped. However, I kept hearing one of them asking my attackers not to kill me.”
Eyewitnesses in the area reveal that as a result of the melee several people were badly beaten and injured by the attackers believed to be Abid Alam’s employees.
“I have directed that Abid Alam goes to police to record a statement on why his workers attacked Bukompe village in Kassanda village and destroyed property,” Nakalema reportedly said.
The no nonsense Nakalema added that previously, she was investigating issues related to land grabbing involving Abid Alam, but that now focus has been turned onto torture and violence.
“Abid has taken advantage of the lockdown to commit crimes but I am going to take him on. I am going to do everything possible to ensure the matter is investigated and culprits arraigned in court,” she added.
It should be noted that Abid Alam has for several years been involved in land wrangles in Mityana and Kassanda districts.
He came under the spotlight because of his alleged forceful eviction of more than 700 families from seven square miles of land in Nalutuntu Sub-County, in Mubende District a few years ago.
Abid Alam later got involved in another row with residents over a 12 square-mile land in the same area.
He was accused of atrocities including arbitrary arrests, torture and detentions of occupants over a five square mile land which has Bukoba, Kika, Kakungube and Bukompe villages in Nalutuntu Sub-County, Kassanda South in Mubende District.
However, Abid Alam commits all these atrocities with impunity, since he is said to have the backup of the area Resident District Commissioner, District Police Commanders (DPCs) and District Internal Security Officers(DISOs), who often accompany him or provide security to his rapist employees.
Some of the complainants, among them Kassanda South Member of Parliament, Simeo Nsubuga, allege that Abid Alam operates illegal detention centres where many victims are often held incommunicado and tortured.
Although Abid Alam was a few years ago arrested on the orders of the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters headed by Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, he was later released on bond and since then he has resumed his mass evictions and torture of helpless Ugandans.
But despite the atrocities Abid Alam and his ruthless hooligans have committed unto Ugandans, they are often released whenever the police in the area arrests them because of allegedly wetting the beaks of security officials.
It is for that reason that MP Nsubuga and other affected locals petitioned State House to intervene in the matter, which prompted Col. Nakalema to immediately start investigating the same, with intent to bring Abid Alam and all his goons to book.
