The call comes a day after the Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of Ebola in Mubende district, an area that shares a common border with Kakumiro district in Bunyoro region. The latest outbreak follows six suspicious deaths in Mubende district so far this month. Eight suspected cases are receiving care in a health facility.
Rogers Kisembo, one of the area residents, says that the herdsman was grazing cattle when he says the body and alerted residents. “We immediately rushed to the crime scene after the herdsman informed us that he had landed on a decomposing body. We later alerted Kikuube police who came and picked the body," said Kisembo.
In their petition dated August 17, 2022 addressed to UWA, the residents contend that they are being raided by wild animals like elephants and Buffaloes which destroy their crops and cause injuries to the community members.
John Baguma, a resident of Kyamugobe who had gone to collect firewood on Monday evening, stumbled on the decomposing body in the bush and immediately alerted area residents who rushed to the scene.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the violence followed the arrest of five residents by the State House Land Protection Unit on Wednesday.
The affected families are from the three villages of Parajok, Kakundi, and Kyesiiga in Hoima City West Division. The residents are feuding with Busoga Agro Limited which is claiming their land to carry out commercial tree planting.
The residents say they are being raided by wild animals like elephants and Buffalos which destroy their crops and cause injuries to the community members. The most affected sub-counties include Biiso, Buliisa, Butiaba, Ngwedu, and Buliisa town councils, which all share a common border with the parks.
Vincent Othuba, a resident of Bugandale village, says that the situation is almost getting out of hand, adding that the disease could spread to more villages left unattended.
Deo Ntakimanyi 60, the Boma village LC I Chairperson, says that his late grandfather was born on the contested piece of land but he is shocked to hear that he is a Congolese.
The residents are facing off with businessman Francis Kaahwa, who is said to have illegally acquired a title for the contested land measuring about 1,800 hectares. The residents say that they learnt about the transaction in 2019 and wondered how Kaahwa acquired a title on the land that many of them have occupied since the 1960s.
Julius Mwesige,60, a resident of Kisita village, says that he has been a resident of the contested land since his birth. He wants the authorities to investigate how the veterans acquired a title for the said land without their consent.
Most roads in the district have become impassable with various potholes hence frustrating movement. Transportation of agricultural produce to market centers has equally become difficult.
The eviction comes at the height of a feud with John Apollo Rwamparo, the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism over land measuring 400 hectares. The land in question was titled in 1983 in the name of Herbert Kimera Rwakiswaza, the father of Rwamparo
On Saturday morning when over 10 graders and excavators started clearing the area destroying garden crops including several acres of Banana plantations, beans, maize, mangoes, Cassava, coffee, Jack fruits, and rice planted by the residents.
John Atugonza, a resident of Hoima west division, says that several roads in the area are impassable especially during the rainy season because the city authorities have taken long to grade them.
The accused health workers are from Buliisa Health Center IV, Kihungya Health Center III, Butiaba Health center III and Biiso health center III among others.
