How Mp Mwijukye abandoned his constituency to fight a land wrangle in another, then clobbered

Fresh details on a land dispute where Buhweju County Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Mwijukye was injured on Sunday have emerged.

According to police, the incident occurred at Rwanyamabare Catholic Church, Buhweju West Constituency, Nyakishana Sub County, in Buhweju District.

Buhweju West is not Mwijukye’s constituency.

But according to police, he curiously went there to attend Sunday Service.

Police says, later, a group of worshipers of Rwanyamabare Farmers Association informed Mwijukye that their Church is at risk of eviction by one Frank Kamugisha, a neighbour who claims ownership of the land.

“After mass Mp Mwijukye with a group of people attempted to visit part of the land which was fenced by Kamugisha. Here they met a group of people armed with sticks and a fight ensued. Mp Mwijukye was beaten and he sustained an injury on the head,” police said.

Kamugisha and Rwanyamabare Farmers Association all claim ownership of the same piece of land.

The police statement further adds that Mwijukye was rescued from the scene by police and taken to Nsiika Health center IV for medical attention after sustaining head injury.

A case of assault was also registered.

Police’s preliminary findings show that Mwijukye who is yet to record a statement attended Church Service in a different constituency other than his and he had no security personnel to guard him while visiting the land.

Police say the land matter is before the Buhweju District Security Committee headed by RDC Nicholas Nuwagaba.

FAMILY OF THE LATE G.W. BURIMBALE SPEAKS OUT

The family of the late George Wilson Burimbale whose land is allegedly under attack by the Church have also released a statement giving their version of Sunday events.

They are accusing Mp Mwijukye of orchestrating the Sunday attack.

According to a statement released by the family, the Sunday prayers had gone one smoothly as usual.

However, Mwijukye, a Member of Parliament of another constituency (Buhweju County) not Buhweju West whose Mp is Ephraim Biraaro (where the Church is located) uncharacteristically, chose to congregate at this same Church on their land, purportedly to attend mass.

“To our understanding, his [Mwijukye] mission was to disguise as a Church congregant for ulterior motives of causing mayhem in order to score political points.

After the mass, Mwijukye, with blatant disregard of the facts on ground, incited members telling them how the land belonged to them and how they were free to attack and evict whoever was there and to use it for themselves as they wished,” the Burimbale family statement reads.

They added: “It is disheartening, that a citizen of the calibre of a Member of Parliament, goes outside of his own constituency, ignores all civility and opts for unlawful and barbaric methods of such confrontations. This not only puts lives of those involved but even to himself.”

The family alleges that it is Mp Mwijukye who directed and led the parishioners in pelting stones at workers who were carrying out construction works on the site.

Mwijukye and parishioners allegedly grabbed and manhandled one of the workers and took him inside the Church while beating him up.

That it is at this point that the workers were enraged and fought back to rescue their colleague.

The workers reportedly forced their way to rescue their colleague and a confrontation ensued which led to the injuries of one of the workers and Mwijukye.

The worker was rescued and they retreated back home where they were working and the parishioners dispersed after the scuffle.

“Today’s [Sunday] unfortunate events can solely be blamed on Mwijukye, who discarded all civility, crossed over into a constituency other than his own, disregarded the ongoing cordial negotiations and procedures and instead chose to incite and command a gang to use violence.

“We highly condemn this dishonorable act of barbarism as it directly puts the lives of many people in harm’s way. A member of his calibre should know better of legal and peaceful means of resolving issues as opposed to pelting stones and fish fights.

“Hiding behind fighting for religious causes is disingenuous and dangerous in a religiously charged populace. We regret the incidents and continue to engage authorities and stakeholders to avoid further altercations,” the family statement further reads.

TRACING THE GENESIS OF THE LAND DISPUTE

The land on which this skirmish happened is located at Omuhambo, Kyakatungu, Rwanyamabare, Buhweju District.

The Burimbare family claims ownership of the disputed land, dating back to the 1600s under their Great-Great- Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Nyakyiiga, who is known to most historians as the man who brought back Muguta ya Butaho (a  general in the military history of Buhweju) after he had been fatally injured and disemboweled, back to the courtyard of Kabundami III.

Nyakyiiga then passed the land responsibility to Nyakityaabire, who in turn passed it on to Kihambo, who also in turn passed it on to Rubane, then to Baraahire and on to George Wilson Burimbale.

It is reportedly G.W. Burimbare, who bequeathed it to his son and heir Frank Benon Ndebesa Kamugisha, who is still alive to date.

It is believed this is the oldest Basingo family in Buhweju and has occupied and utilized this land long before the coming of the Missionaries and by extension, was there before the Catholic Church came to be.

HOW THE CHURCH ON THE LAND CAME TO BE

Information obtained indicates that in the late 1950s, the late G.W. Burimbale married a bride who subscribed to the Catholic faith.

At the time, the Catholic faithful had set up a makeshift shelter used as Church premises above Katembe in Rwanyamabaare. However, the shelter was blown away countless times by the winds.

So the Catholic faithful, through G.W. Burimbale’s wife, allegedly lobbied for shifting of Church premises to temporarily use a part of G.W. Burimbale’s land as they sought a better place for the Church.

This proposal was reportedly first rejected by Burimbale, who himself subscribed to the Anglican faith.

He, however, later obliged to the request on condition that the shelter was not to last beyond three years, and that during its stay, no permanent structure was to be constructed there, to which conditions the Church agreed.

The land portion temporarily allocated to them was an acre.

It is alleged that over time, and in breach of the agreement, the Church refused to vacate the land and instead chose to use their numerical strength of parishioners to invade and use the land forcefully and expand beyond what was allocated to them.

Burimbale, in response, sued them in vide Civil Case No 25 of 1968 against Bigirwa and others.

He went ahead to further file another suit, a civil appeal number MMB23 of 1975.

All this while, the urge to get them to honour the agreement to move away remained cordial and non-confrontational.

It is said Burimbale applied for this land’s title in 1983 and its application was approved but the title was not processed because of the political instability at the time, but the file continued being worked on.

That around 1985, gangs and individuals under alleged the ring leaders Birakwate John Francis, Salvatori Nyerebere a.k.a Katiri, Sebastian Bigirwa, Fabian Winingyire and a one John a.k.a. Kachereme attacked, torched the house of G.W. Burimbale, looted the goats and chicken, slaughtered the cattle, pigs and illegally expelled him out of his homestead.

He filed cases against the same. However, they were not prosecuted to conclusion due to challenges of long distance and financial constraints.

G.W Burimbale however, went ahead and finalized processing of the land title which he had started in 1983, and successfully got it in 1995.

This was reportedly issued temporarily for two years and then confirmed after the probationary period.

It was granted in 1997 for a period of 49 years.

However, despite being the rightful landlord, he continued using the land but under duress.

The Church reportedly reneged on the earlier agreement and went ahead to build a permanent structure that was against the original agreement.

Despite being the rightful landlord and the title holder, G.W. Burimbale continued to respectfully engage the church to honor the earlier agreement but to no avail.

Unfortunately, in 1997, G.W. Burimbale passed away but he had bequeathed the estate to his son and heir Frank Benon Ndebesa Kamugisha who up-to-date has made efforts to cordially engage the Church.

He lives on this land where he built his home and for his aging mother, who is now 99 years old.

Even as the rightful owner, he has reportedly been receiving threats from the individuals and their families who have been benefiting from the land.

Kamugisha has also since written to the Apostolic Nuncio and discussions are ongoing.

“He [Kamugisha] filed cases with the police and fenced off his land. He requested the church for a meeting to iron out issues of its presence on his land, but they didn’t respond,” the family says.


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