Rights Defender Relocates Family after Home Raid, Seeks Police Protection

Yisito Kayinga Muddu, the Programmes Coordinator of Community Transformation Foundation Network-COTFONE, has relocated his family members after a home raid by unidentified gunmen.   

The thugs raided his home and office in Kyabakuza village, Masaka city on Saturday, and took away four laptop computers, two tablets, a cellphone handset, and key organisation document files.   His family narrowly escaped after hiding in the banana plantation behind the house and they have lived in fear since.   

Muddu is now seeking police protection at home in Kyabakuza, Masaka city, and the COTFONE offices in Kiwangala village, Lwengo district since they have become a target.  

Muddu is a renowned Human Rights Defender on matters relating to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project in Lwengo, Rakai, Kyotera, Sembabule, and Gomba districts.

He says that some of the stolen files contained grievance statements from persons affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline-EACOP project, which were being prepared to be taken to court.   

He adds that prior to the burglary, he had received threats through anonymous callers cautioning him against his activism while strangers were seen surveilling his home and taking pictures of his house a few five days before the incident. 

Now Kayinga wants police to deploy at his home in Kyabakuza, and at COTFONE’s main offices in Kiwangala village in Lwengo district to avoid similar raids.   

//Cue in; “Abatamanya ngamba…..//

Cue out……………kyatutusidwako.”//     He noted that the invaders have a motive of collapsing his advocacy role in fighting for the rights of the people affected by the oil pipeline project.   He suspects that there is a far-reaching mission of taking his life and that of his family members a reason why he cannot keep them exposed to danger.   

//Cue in; “Kyaleese entiisa…..//

Cue out……gwa amafuta.”//

However, Hussein Mwisho, the Officer in charge of Kyabakuza division police says they have just been elevated to a division police station with limited manpower and it is difficult to deploy at Muddu’s home and office at Kyabakuza.   

Detective Calvin Ogutu, who visited Muddu’s home and office has advised him to consider recruiting private security guards or installing the Closed-circuit (CCTV) cameras around his home and his organisation offices.   

He further says that they will just intensify patrols around the home but advised Kayinga to liaise with Lwengo Police station to protect the Kiwangala COTFONE offices to thwart further raids.