Residents of Nkumba Bufulu village in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District, have accused Wagagai Flower Farm Ltd of illegally taking over land belonging to a 72-year-old widow, Ms. Kajoyina Zainabu, and turning it into a football pitch.
On Friday, angry residents surrounded the contested land, demanding that it be returned to Ms. Kajoyina and her family. They claim the company forcefully occupied her two-acre piece of land without any authorization or compensation.
According to the area vice chairperson, Mr. Abdul Kasule, the elderly widow currently lives in dire conditions in a makeshift structure erected on the disputed land. He noted that residents decided to rally behind her due to the inhumane situation she faces.
“This woman has nowhere else to go. She sleeps in water whenever it rains. The community is now demanding for the intervention of higher authorities to ensure she is restored to her rightful land,” Mr. Kasule said.
The land in question, located on Block 448 Plot 39 in Nkumba Bufulu Cell, was originally part of a 10-acre estate owned by the late Hajj Twaib Mukasa. Mr. Steven Lubowa, a senior resident and one of the attorneys handed powers over the estate in 2001, said the land was leased to Wagagai but Ms. Kajoyina was left out of the compensation process.
“There were eight residents on that land, but during the leasing process we only found seven. We only heard of an eighth person named Senyonga, who had a bakery, but we never saw him. We presented all the paperwork to the local leaders and Wagagai. If compensation is due, the company should pay it. The fact that Wagagai never made major developments there shows they knew the land had other claimants,” Mr. Lubowa explained.
Ms. Kajoyina herself appealed for urgent government intervention, saying her suffering has become unbearable.
“When it rains, I sleep in water because it passes through my small structure. I am guarded day and night like a prisoner, but I can’t leave this land. All the residents can testify that I am the rightful owner, and I have documents to prove it,” she said.
However, Wagagai Flower Farm Ltd has denied wrongdoing. The company’s Human Resource Manager, Mr. Joseph Balondemu, said the matter is already before the courts of law.
“We have been on this land for 24 years without interruption until last year when this lady came claiming ownership. She forcefully accessed the football pitch and set up a structure. We have tolerated her presence because she is an elderly woman, but she did not have permission from us,” Mr. Balondemu stated.
Residents are now calling on the Wakiso Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and other authorities to intervene and ensure justice is served in what has become a heated land dispute.
