By Andrew Irumba
Nakaseke: A senior manager at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has been named in a land grabbing scandal in which shee is accused of allegedly evicting 18 families from their homes.
Doreen Tibelonda, a procurement officer at KCCA, is accused by members of the said families of allegedly forcefully evicting them from their land which measures 270 acres, located at Kasiiga-Busana and Lwanda villages in Kapeeka Sub County. Their concerns were presented during a locus visit to the disputed land by Justice Catherine Bamugereire’s Commission of Inquiry into land matters. The families accused Tibelonda of conniving with police officers to open up charges of theft and criminal trespass against members who attempted to protest the evictions. John Kabanda, a former resident of Kasiga-Busana village says that “I bought six acres of land in 1997 from Betty Nagalye, one of the area residents. However, in 2010, Tibelonda claimed ownership of the land and started harassing me until he abandoned the land and settled in Majije, Wakiso district.”
Kabanda told the Commission that eight of their colleagues have since died due to illnesses arising from stress Tibelonda has subjected them to over the years. He listed the deceased as Sulait Ramanzani, Kaliisa Sembwa, Jowelia Nakawungu, Kasasa Matovu, John Karyowa, Fred Mugerwa and Rehema Nakazaana among others. He asked the probe to support the evicted residents to regain possession over the land in question. Martin Kamugisha, another evictee, told the Commission that “ I became homeless after losing 64 acres of my land to Tibelonda.” He added that his resistance against the eviction was thwarted when he was charged with Criminal Trespass, convicted and jailed until he paid Shs 4.2 million as a fine to regain his freedom. He explains that his family of two wives and 20 children was sent to the streets during the six months’ period he was in prison. The affected residents asked the Commission to recommend that Tibelonda compensates them and returns the land they previously occupied.
However, Tibelonda said that she bought the land rightfully from Industrial Coffee Growers Company Limited who renewed a lease and secured another of 49 years in 2003 from the government. She said that some of the people mentioned were compensated to vacate the land whereas others were not known as bonafide occupants on the land. The Commission’s Fred Ruhindi and George Bagonza warned Tibelonda to stop using legality and her wealth to harass tenants. They advised her to do what is legitimate so that she doesn’t regret in future over crimes committed by her towards the tenants. Justice Bamugemereire revealed that the purpose of the visit was intended to visit the disputed land and that the Commission will summon Tibelonda and affected residents to Kampala for an engagement before making final recommendations on the matter.
