SHOWDOWN! UPDF General , Masindi family fight over 530 acres of land
Gen.Kashaka
By Moses Oketayot
The family of a World War II veteran, Rugirangaro Zakayo is facing off with Gen. Steven Kashaka over 530 acres of land.
Through their lawyer Paul Katamba of Silicon Advocates, the family has petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) to intervene and reign over the UPDF General.
The family is represented by Rugirangaro daughter in law, Esther Kyabarongo, a wife to his deceased son Stephen Rutembana.
It is believed that Rugirangaro was killed in the 1980s during the reign of Obote II government and was survived by two widows, five children and many grandchildren.
According to a petition seen by this newspaper, the family of the late Rugirangaro lived on the land located Kyamaisho village, Nyakatete, Katuugu, Masindi district, measuring 2square miles from 1940s until Gen. Kashaka allegedly took over the same in 2000.
The family claim that the land in question is their customary land and had never been registered with the ministry of lands.
The dilemma now is that Gen. Kashaka has since applied for conversion of a portion of the land (530 acres) from customary to freehold at the Masindi Ministry of lands office.
They also state that the acquisition of the said land is tainted with irregularities since there was no purchase agreement thereto attached to the application, and he is not a son or a beneficiary of the estate of the late Rugirangaro, and neither does he state in what manner he acquired the land.
SHACU officials led by Erotu Stanley, Sowedi Muhammad, and Samuel Arinaitwe visited the locus on 15th August 2022 to establish the facts. Both warring parties were present with all the elders with knowledge about the matter.
Jassi Yahaya, 70, an elder from Kijunjubwa who was a youth when the late Rugirangaro gave his submission to the SHACU and testified that indeed the land belongs to Rugirangaro Zakayo, and most of the contemporaries in the area know it.
He said the contentious issue arose from Kebikomi, a daughter to Kosiya who was a brother to Rugirangayo without consulting other family members.
In his own words, Yahaya says that Kebikomi ‘bulldozed’ the children of the late Rugirangaro when she brought her animals to graze on the land.
“For her she pretended that she had wealth, so she hijacked the land. In turn we heard that she had sold the land and yet the late Rugirangaro left his children on the land. She sold the land in 1999 to Gen Kashaka and later ran away because she knew that the land belonged to Rugirangaro,” he stated.
Rugirangaro’s son, Stephen Rutembana was allegedly arrested and tortured by soldiers in 2002 on the orders of Gen. Kashaka. He later died in October 2004 in Kyankwanzi where he had gone to seek refuge after developing complications. The soldiers who allegedly tortured him are Rwenguli, Mugume and Kalanzi together with the son of Kebikomi, a one Baikunda. It is alleged that they also burnt down grass thatched houses of Rugirangaro’s family when they were being evicted from the land in the 2000s.
After that incident, the family scattered to different places to seek refuge.
A similar account is given by Chrysostom Wandera, 80, a retired parish chief who says he was the one who processed the land ownership documents of the land for Rugirangaro on 13th, March, 1978.
Kebikomi, when asked to reveal how much money she got from the land transaction between her and Gen. Kasahaka, she declined to say so, but maintained that the land in question was for her late father Kosiya, who is a brother to the late Rugirangaro.
However, Kashaka maintains that he used the right channels to buy the land from Kebikomi, and he is the rightful owner, and he is surprised how his name is being dragged into mud. When asked about the torture allegations being labeled against him by the family of Rugirangaro, he said that people are just trying to soil his reputation.
He also refutes the claim that he was commandant at Masindi Barracks when the family of the late Rugirangaro was evicted from the land. He instead stated that he was at the time serving at the military headquarters in Bombo.
Emmy Ngabirano, the RDC Masindi who presided over the 15th August meeting advised both parties to follow the right channels of leadership, and go through the right offices when seeking help on such matters.
The team from SHACU noted that the issue at hand revolves around a family member (Kebikomi) selling the land to Gen. Kashaka without consulting the family of Rugirangaro. They promised to harmonize the issue between Kashaka and his neighbors’, and thereafter make a report that will be forwarded to court so that a common ground is reached. Meanwhile, the late Rugirangaro’s family through their legal counsel are planning to write a notice of an intention to sue Gen. Kashaka because they believe they have their facts, and witnesses whom they believe will support their case in the courts of law so that they get justice.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GOT A HOT STORY? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL redpeppertips@gmail.com
About Post Author
