It has been three years since the two parties are no bickering over the contested Ntawo land, it seems the honeymoon over, it was Sunday night when goons allegedly with protection from police knocked down a house belonging to Mzee John Jingo.
The residents said that police blocked access to the house and it was in the mid night that’s when they started hearing people knocking down the house.
“We made the alarm that gathered many of us so that we could rescue the house but police fired bullets and we ran away,” said the residents.
Nagayi Harriet the daughter of Jingo said that she was born and raised in the contested house and the house belongs to her father. They have been using it and the land for many years.
She adds that they were surprised when police stopped them when they brought back their dad to occupy his house, saying that the house is under the occupation of UCU casual workers.
Mzee Jingo alongside his family members stormed the university casual workers and forced them out of the house claiming that the State Minister for Lands, Dr. Sam Mayanja while appearing in one radio talk show instructed all tenants who lost their plots to landlords to go back and reclaim them.
The issue has caused a mixed reaction as both sides accuse each for being behind the demolition of the house.
Isa Luwangula, the son of Jingo said that he vividly saw UCU police post OC and Seeta police at the side giving instructions to the goons.
Speaking to John Jingo, the said owner of the land and the house, he revealed to us that he bought the kibanja in 1979 in his youthful days from one Sebatta. he constructed a house on it.
Jingo cried out to the president to intervene so that he can reclaim his kibanja and the house because he feels bad to lose his memorable property he bought when he was a youth.
However, John Mutyaba, the UCU- Holdings coordinator, accused Jingo’s family for demolishing the house. The purpose of the police was to stop the goons hired by Jingo from demolishing the house.
Mr. Mutyaba revealed that the house has never belonged to Jingo any more, that house is amongst the old houses that housed people during bishop tucker theological school in the 1950s.
Mutyaba added that the church has lost most of its land to such people who are trespassers, ” we have some people who studied at the college like Rev. Peter Bakaluba Mukasa LC V chairperson, but he is keeping quiet and he knows everything”. Mutyaba said.
The Ntaawo Lc 1 chairperson, said that the university did all the demolition without the thir know, he also revealed that since 80s, he has been seeing Jingo using his property.
Mukono Deputy District Resident Commissioner, Henry Kitambula says they have currently not sanctioned any eviction within Mukono Municipality. He notes that their office received the information about the fracas at Ntawo and they already instructed police to maintain the seating tenant (University) as investigations go on.