Two Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) are under fire for allegedly facilitating the illegal seizure of a 70.2-acre piece of land in Kihanda Sub-County, Kanungu District. The disputed land, rich in minerals, was originally owned by Mzee Blasio Bamuturaki and his wife, Joy Evelyn Kyabasasaki, who occupied it from the 1950s until their deaths in 1994 and 2004, respectively.
The RDCs, Hajj Shafik Sekandi and his successor Amanyire Ambrose Mwesigye, stand accused of colluding with land dealers and a section of the family to forcefully take over the ancestral land located in Ibarya Cell.
Following Kyabasasaki’s death in 2004, family members claim then-RDC Sekandi, in collusion with Ms. Anna Kyahamutima—a relative—began a systematic plan to push other beneficiaries off the land. Sekandi, before his transfer from Kanungu District, is alleged to have linked the land to high-ranking government officials, including some in State House and the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Upon his transfer to Kisoro District, Sekandi was replaced by Mr. Mwesigye, who allegedly continued the effort to dispossess the family, alongside his deputy, Gad Rugajju, and other local officials including the Kanungu District Internal Security Officer (GISO), Ambrose Barigye.
Christine Joy Tusiime, a daughter of the deceased owners.
Christine Joy Tusiime, a daughter of the deceased owners, accused the RDCs and other local leaders of orchestrating the destruction of property on the land, including homes and plantations. She named other alleged collaborators: Jessica Tindimwebwa (LC1 Chairperson), Davis Asiimwe (LCIII Chairperson, Kihanda), and Lemegio Tumwesigye (LCII Chairperson).
Speaking emotionally, Tusiime recounted:
“The dispute began after our mother’s death in 2004. My sister took control of the family property with backing from the RDC. That’s when plantations started getting destroyed, and outsiders were brought in to defeat our claim to the land.”
In 2023, fearing for her life, Tusiime fled Uganda and currently resides in the United Kingdom.
She also alleged that her siblings died under mysterious circumstances and that she was harassed, arrested, and nearly kidnapped by RDC Sekandi and Mwesigye’s team with the help of police and military forces while pursuing justice through the Administrator General’s office in Mbarara.
Appeal to the President
Tusiime is now calling on President Yoweri Museveni to intervene and investigate what she describes as a land-grabbing cartel operating under the guise of a government irrigation project allegedly funded by the World Bank through the Irrigation for Climate Resilience Project (ICRP).
“I believe the World Bank cannot support a project marred by human rights abuses and illegal evictions,” she said.
She further alleged that police in Kanungu refused to register a case of malicious damage reported by her representatives. She claimed that the RDCs and their associates are profiting from the land through activities like charcoal burning, and have demolished family homes.
“When I reached out to police, they kept silent. I’m pleading with the President to rescue me from these criminals hiding behind government titles,” she said.
According to Tusiime, in December 2023, RDC Mwesigye, alongside policemen Zaviour Nishaba and Constable Daniel Byensi, led a group that allegedly looted livestock and poultry from the land and arrested her workers.
She also accused her sister, Anna Kyahamutima, of desecrating family graves and weaponizing the justice system by filing multiple fictitious criminal cases to derail her efforts to acquire letters of administration for the estate.
Tusiime claims that another relative, Police Officer Rachael Tushabe (Kyahamutima’s daughter), was used to torment her with fake charges. She says she filed multiple petitions in 2023 to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Flying Squad, and other security agencies—but has received no meaningful response.
She noted that a caveat was placed on the land in 2021 after her sister refused to participate in mediation efforts.
“They wanted me to give up through harassment, arrests, and torture. But this is our ancestral land. All I want is justice,” she emphasized.
RDC Mwesigye Responds
When contacted, RDC Amanyire Ambrose Mwesigye dismissed the allegations, saying:
“She [Tusiime] is dishonest. She came to my office in 2023 saying her sister was chasing her off the land. I investigated and found the land in question belonged to their late father, but it had no title in her name.”
Mwesigye claimed that the disputed land is part of a government irrigation project under the Ministry of Water and Environment. According to him, families affected by the project were consulted in 2022, and compensation was paid in December 2024—including Shs 1 billion to Christine and her sister.
“The houses demolished were part of the project area. They were duly paid. In fact, we allowed them to continue using the land temporarily, but once the project was ready, everyone was asked to vacate,” he explained.
Mwesigye said community meetings were held, and all families were informed and compensated.
“This land now belongs to the government. The Ministry followed all procedures, and we only provided security for project implementation,” he said, adding that all documentation is available for scrutiny.
Rugajju Denies Involvement
Deputy RDC Gad Rugajju distanced himself from the controversy, saying:
“I am primarily responsible for security matters in Kihihi and border areas. I haven’t been involved in any land matters in Kihanda. This must be a case of mistaken identity.”
