By Our Reporters
On hearing of the impending reprimand by Justice Catherine Bamugereire, to whom their victim reported recently, the armed land grabbers who two years ago forcefully took over veteran opposition politician Chapaa Karuhanga’s prime land in Munyonyo have reached out to him suing for peace talks. They are setting terms for the talks and their demands are simple: pay us some money or a share of the land; we denounce our claim and leave. The wealthy politician, who has previously reported to State House, Police and Courts of law but feels he hasn’t been helped, has since reported to fearless Justice Bamugemereire whose land commission of inquiry continues to demystify many of the guys previously thought to be untouchable.
Chapaa says Masembe and other encroachers on his land, who initially claimed to be backed by Gen Salim Saleh, recently came to his office and tabled their proposal. “They were mistaken because Chapaa is not someone to be blackmailed to give away even an inch of what lawfully belongs to him. What do they want us to do if I own land? To load it on my vehicles and carry it wherever we go?” Chapaa wonders when focused on the possibility that he was away from the land too long and the false claimants took advantage. He says the land grabbers, who have forcefully been occupying his 3.5 acres of prime land with impunity under heavy gun protection, at some pointed contacted his brother when he/Chapaa was in London “but we have ignored them because there is no way in law you can defeat the interest of a registered proprietor of the land.” Some of the innocent buyers to whom Chapaa’s rivals sold have since erected big structures which Chapaa maintains will have to be demolished at some point because he isn’t interested in their money because he has enough for himself. The land (Plot 410 Salaama Rd) in question is located along Salaama Road immediately after Kiruddu hospital and wealthy Chapaa, who lives in Muyenga, says the fact that he owns so much can’t be justification for the false claimants to grab his land. He says his plans to put up a shopping mall still stand and regrets the three years he has lost since the armed grabbers prevented him from accessing his land. He says he tried reaching Gen Saleh, on whose behalf the guys claimed to be occupying his land, but in vain.
Mulengera news website has separately established that the guys operate as a racket led by Masembe and a one Sande and they work in close cohorts with certain judicial officers who ensure they are legally covered. “Officially they pass off as land brokers but in actual sense they are land grabbers who move in under tight security and later claim to be kibanja holders and can only leave after compensation. One time Masembe sponsored Sande to sue him as a fellow Kibanja holder
on Chapaa’s land and this gave room to a former Makindye Magistrate [who has since died] to sit them down for mediation during which the Magistrate was also given a portion of Chapaa’s land,” explained a source. The Magistrate had involved some LC officials and a former RDC each of whom got a share of Chapaa’s land. In return the RDC and others connived to provide the guns with heavily armed security to ensure Chapaa can’t come anywhere near the land that is undisputedly his as a registered owner. “It’s a very strong syndicate and sometimes the top leadership of this country doesn’t even have to be involved to politically witch-hunt or cripple Chapaa. These guys are lowly but very sophisticated you will easily think they have backing of State House whereas not.” This same source explains that this collusion of some judicial officers is the reason why even when he rushed to the High Court’s Land Division, Chapaa can’t get speedy justice in the manner the Constitution prescribes. Indeed Chapaa confirms his Land Division case hasn’t made any progress now three years since it was first filed. As all this happens, the FDC politician from Bushenyi (said to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth) is eagerly waiting for an opportunity to appear before Justice Bamugemereire and make his case. Watch this space for more updates on this story. To comment on this & other Mulengera news stories, reach us on 0703164755!
