Bobi Wine Moves to Sue Govt Over Unlawful Lusanja Evictions

Kyadondo East legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, has vowed to sue government in courts of law for what he calls aiding an illegal eviction of hundreds of people from their land in Lusanja, Wakiso district.

The youthful legislator was addressing residents of Lusanja on Saturday afternoon.

On October 12, men working for a one Medard Kiconco, a business man and proprietor of engineering firm, Leximan Ltd, who claims to be the rightful owner of the land razed down the houses that were home to over 200 people in Farm zone, Lusanja.

Buildings were all brought to the ground by the men who were being protected by Police, leaving the occupants and children to leave in makeshift tents. Last month, the affected persons delivered a petition to the Speaker of Parliament challenging the illegal eviction they were subjected to.

The Attorney General, William Byaruhanga recently told Parliament that the eviction was marred with a lot of irregularities, revealing that officers who had executed it were under disciplinary measures. This promoted lawmakers to task government to compensate the evictees.

On Friday December 14, High Court Judge, John Eudes Keitirima, ruled that the Chief Magistrates Court at Nabweru that ordered for an eviction had no jurisdiction to handle the case.

Now, Bobi wine says he together with other people are heading to courts of law, to sue government for helping in the evictions.

“We are going to file a civil case because the people who evicted you were under protection of Police. Yes, government says they are going to compensate you, but it is not them to determine how much you must be paid, yet they are the very people who illegally destroyed your property,” he explained.

He added that a criminal case will also be filed against Medard Kiconco as well as the District Police Commanders of Kasangati and Kawempe for effecting unlawful orders to evict Lusanja residents.

He said that courts must quickly respond to their cause and compensation is done in time, short of which he warned, that the people of Lusanja will use all means within their reach to get justice.

Bobi Wine reiterated that the illegal eviction was done when he was out of the country because evictors knew that he wouldn’t allow it to happen if he was around.

He said that as long as he still represents them in Parliament, such evictions will never be done against his people, saying that Kyadondo East is going to be an example to people who evict residents in other parts of the country.

Wine revealed that his fellow legislators have already embarked on soliciting aid to help the evicted residents commence with the building of houses.

“I want to thank fellow MPs Ibrahim Kasozi and Joseph Ssewungu who have given us 100 iron iron sheets and 100 bags of cement respectively,” he noted.

He added that he is optimistic that other legislators and business community will contribute more for them.