The Head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema has instructed the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Stephen Tanui to deploy police on the Kisowera Church land in Mukono District.
Nakalema issued the directives on Saturday after visiting Nakanyonyi and Kisowera parish church land where Mukono Diocese has for several years battled encroachers.
“The role of deployment is to ensure peace in the areas of Nakanyonyi and Kisowera where people living on the church land are turning out to be violent. Police should arrest all those involved in threatening violence against the clergy.” Nakalema said.
The directive to deploy comes two weeks after a gang of youths attacked and vandalized the house of Kisowera Parish Priest Micah Lukwago with intentions to lynch him on accusations of evicting them from land. That was the second time Lukwago was attacked in one month.
The contested land at Kisowera is approximately 151 acres covering over two villages of Kisowera and Muduuma. The land at Nakanyonyi is 426 acres and the titles are registered under the Church of Uganda Mukono diocese.
Mukono Diocesan Bishop James William Ssebaggala says there are encroaching who forcefully encroach on the Church land and construct illegal structures, with the support of leaders in the area.
“Most of these encroachers are hostile towards the registered landowner who is the church of God. We are now grateful to the government for listening to our cry and have decided to intervene in the matter and they are looking at achieving a long term resolution.” Bishop Ssebaggala notes.
Badru Musoke, one of the residents at Kisowera says the church is forcing them to surrender the land which they inherited from their parents.
