KASESE DPC CAMPS AT RWEHINGO AS SIX ARE INJURED IN LAND CLASHES

Kasese District Police Commander George Abaho has pitched camp in Rwehing-Bukangara areas in Nyakiyumbu sub-county, Kasese district following land wrangles that left at least six people injured.
The injuries happen as a revival of the 2006-2007 tribal clashes between the Bakonzo and the Basongora over land in the area.
The Western Region Police Commander Wilson Kwanya had on Thursday visited the area to inspect the deployment a head of the farmer's takeover for today.

Mr. Abaho told this reporter on phone on Saturday evening that he needed to command the personnel already deployed on the disputed land to make sure there is not more fighting.
“As I speak now, the situation is calmed down because we managed to separate the two sides before they inflict more harm on each other.
But I have decided to stay until there is no more fighting”. Mr. Abaho said.
He said that four cultivators and two pastoralists sustained “miner” injuries as the former declined to vacate the land whose case was determined by court.
The casualties were admitted to Bwera hospital but unconfirmed reports suggest the pastoralists transferred their fellows to a clinic in Kasese town.
High court judge Owiny Dolo in May ruled in favour of the 289 farmers who sued the government for allocating their land totaling to 2050 acres to the pastoralists when they were repatriated from Virunga
National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The judge awarded each of the 289 farmers 12M shillings as damages for the wasted five years and costs for the suit respectively.
Between 2007 and 2007, at least 13 cultivators were reportedly killed by the pastoralists on the same land including one person whose body was paraded in front of the Inspector General of Police Lt.Gen.Kale
Kaihura.
The District Police Commander said the pastoralists attacked the cultivators as they arrived on the land to start preparations for the new season. He said that the cultivators also retaliated by injuring
two pastoralists.
Mr. Abaho said there were no arrests on either side because police was aiming at separating the two sides in any way that was possible.
Asked about when the farmers should re-appear on their land, Mr. Abaho said the matter is left to the relevant government offices to handle but police will make sure there is no more attacks.
The Kasese District Chairman Lt. Col.Mawa Muhindo has also camped in the area saying he needs to see that the court decision is respected.
Lt. Col.Mawa said that it is not possible for the pastoralists to reclaim the land that court has ruled on in favour of the cultivators.
He said that the office of the Resident District Commissioner as representative of the central government should arrange a meeting with the pastoralists to chat a way forward of co-existing with the cultivators.
One of the cultivators James Kule told this reporter on phone that “no one is going to take back steps on the land that a court judgment was  read in favour of us”.
The cultivators admitted at Bwera hospital were identified as Mr. Amos kadogo, Mr. Ntuhura, Mr. Stephen Bathaya and Ms Dolokya.