UGANDA: Court stops Nantaba’s Kayunga land giveaway

By  EPHRAIM KASOZI

High Court in Jinja has temporarily stopped the State Minister for Lands, Ms Idah Nantaba, and her agents from entering the controversial land in Kokotero Sub-Parish, Bbale in Kayunga District until the hearing of the main case slated for March 15 next year.

Mr David Batema, the deputy registrar, issued the order against Ms Nantaba from allocating or destroying any property on the land.

The order comes barely a week after the minister allegedly oversaw what she described as “giving back land to the rightful owners” from which they claimed the landlord, Mr Paul Kiwanuka, illegally evicted them in 2004.

Kayunga businessman Eriya Paulo Kiwanuka had dragged Ms Nantaba to court, seeking a declaration that the minister’s act constituted trespass.

Unlawful act

“…that the loss, looting of plaintiff’s property on the defendant’s direction was unlawful, that the defendant’s act of re-allocating land to the some people who the defendant purportedly called squatters was unlawful, null and void,” reads part of the complainant, pending hearing before Justice Flavia Anglin Senoga, the resident judge of Jinja High Court.

Mr Kiwanuka, who also wants court to order Ms Nantaba to pay special and punitive damages, alleges that during the end of last year, there were political agents of Ms Nantaba who incited the former squatters on his land, claiming that they had not been compensated.

The court has summoned Ms Nantaba to file her defence within 15 days from December 10.

“Should you fail to file a written statement of defence on or about or before the date mentioned, the plaintiff may proceed with the suit and judgment may be given in you absence,” reads part of the court document.

Mr Kiwanuka is seeking Shs190 million compensation, excluding the value of the farm and properties.

Special damages sought are worth Shs56.4 million for the loss of cattle, goats, matooke, bags of posho, beans, a destroyed fence and stolen barbed wire.

Source: Daily Monitor (14/12/2012): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Court-stops-Nantaba-s-Kayunga-land-giveaway/-/688334/1643226/-/12m8181/-/index.html