By Peter Abanabasazi
Residents of Butebere North Cell in Nyakambugu Ward,Hoima West City division are bickering with Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom officials over land.
The land in question measures 5.3780 hectares and is located on block 16 plot 340 at Kicwamba. Its land title was processed in 2017 under the Name of Gafabusa Solomon Iguru, the Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.
The fight for this land started in 2010. Last month, a group of surveyors stormed the area to open the land boundaries, an exercise the residents resisted and petitioned the Hoima Resident City Commissioner Badru Mugabi to intervene. Relatedly, the Kingdom petitioned the same office seeking for help to see that they open the boundaries.
In the petition to the RCC signed by the Omukama’s principle private secretary Richard Kitahimbwa, the land was bequeathed to Omukama Iguru by the late Omukaikuru Kumwucumbiro 10 years ago.
According to the petition, Kumwucumbiro bequeathed Omukama 80 acres but by the time he titled the land only 13.12 acres (5.3780 hectares) was free of encroachers.
Kitahimbwa notes that he King titled 13.12 acres and they wanted to open boundaries before utilizing the land.
Speaking during the meeting held at Butebere Church of Uganda on Tuesday, the residents say the land title was acquired illegally.
According to the residents, Kumwucumbiro whom the kingdom claims to have bequeathed the land to Omukama is still alive and is a resident of Kicwamba and not Butebere north cell as alleged.
John Baguma the chairperson Butebere north cell says the residents have stayed on this land for years wondering how the Omukama secured its title.
However, after inspecting the land, Hoima RCC Badru Mugabi agreed with the residents to allow the surveyors to continue with the boundary opening exercise to enable them know the exact number of affected residents and thereafter find means of solving the dispute.
