Staff Reporter
Over 300 families occupying over 900 acres in Muko Sub County, Rubanda District, are facing possible eviction after their land was allegedly surveyed and marked without their consent by officials from the Karengyere Agricultural Research Centre, part of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO).
Last week, under police protection, center officials, led by manager Ivan Mwesigye, accessed land with existing crops and began marking boundaries for fencing. They also cleared trees planted by locals. These actions angered residents, who claim that the officials demarcated land where many have lived for over 20 or 30 years.
The disputed land spans nine villages in Muko Sub County, including Byeza, Nyamiyaga, Rushekye B, Rushekye A, Karengyere Center, and Kashambya, among others. Residents such as Kenneth Marenga, Christine Tusingwire, Agness Tweheyo, Jasper Burahi, and Herbert Muhanguzi accuse NARO of installing pillars on their land without permission, despite some having lived there for over 60 years.
Residents report that surveyors and NARO officials, led by Ivan Mwesigye, allegedly encroached on their land last Tuesday and Wednesday under the pretense of opening new demarcations for NARO’s land. They claim that only area chairpersons were invited to the demarcation process, without clear communication to the residents.
The affected families are now appealing to the government to intervene swiftly to prevent forced evictions. They have also threatened to take action against anyone who enters their land without authorization, including top government officials.
Ivan Mwesigye, the Karengyere Agricultural Research Center farm manager, says that NARO is conducting a nationwide demarcation of all their land. He noted that the disputed land has had a title since 1922 and questioned why many residents have not processed their land titles. Mwesigye also stated that the Sub County and District leadership were informed in writing about the demarcation process.
However, Muko Sub County Gomborora Internal Security Officer (GISO) Bruno Musiimenta and Muko Sub County Chairperson Patrick Abeneiwe Mukwete say that security officials were not informed about NARO’s demarcation process. They have promised to escalate the issue to higher authorities for resolution.
