By Moses Andama
www.mknewslink.com
In Hoima—-
Police officers escaped unhurt after unidentified gunmen, alleged to have been dressed in military uniform, reportedly opened fire on two private vehicles during a night-time security incident near the disputed Kapaapi land in Hoima District.
One of the vehicles was reportedly carrying police personnel responding to the incident.
A resident of Kapaapi Trading Centre in Kigorobya Sub-county said he heard several gunshots shortly after midnight yesterday causing panic among nearby residents.
The Hoima Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Christopher Aine, confirmed that an incident had occurred and said he had directed the District Police Commander to conduct investigations.
According to Mr Aine, preliminary information suggests that the gunmen may have been Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel deployed to provide security on land that has been the subject of a prolonged ownership dispute. The land had recently been preoccupied by community members after spending two years in eviction.
Mr Aine alleged that the apparent target of the shooting was Rogers Karamagi, a former farm manager of Brig Gen Peter Nabasa, who is one of the parties claiming an interest in the disputed land.
He said Mr Karamagi received information that an ambush had allegedly been laid against him, prompting him to abandon his vehicle and seek safety while alerting nearby police officers.
“He was tipped off that his life was in danger. He fled while alerting nearby police for help,” Mr Aine said.
He further alleged that officers responding to the report also came under gunfire
Brig Gen Peter Nabasa confirmed that one of the survivors was his former farm manager, Rogers Karamagi.
According to Brig Gen Nabasa, Mr Karamagi had parked near a fuel station at Kapaapi Trading Centre before fleeing after noticing individuals whom he believed were following him.
“Karamagi made friends around Kapaapi when he was my manager and he is from nearby Kigorobya. But I don’t know why they always trail him,” Brig Gen Nabasa said
Mr Karamagi’s name featured prominently during and after the disputed 2023 eviction from the same land, when he was commonly referred to by some residents as “Captain Karamagi”.
Efforts to obtain a response from the UPDF regarding the allegations were unsuccessful. Telephone calls to the regional military public relations officer based in Masindi went unanswered or were interrupted.
The Albertine South Regional Police had also not issued a public statement on the reported shooting by the time of publication.
No injuries or fatalities had been reported.
Residents of Kapaapi Trading Centre said the incident had heightened fears that the longstanding land dispute could spill over into surrounding communities. The shooting reportedly occurred about two kilometres from the disputed land.
A source among the returnees on the disputed land told www.mknewslink.com that soldiers deployed under the command of Brig Gen Daniel Kakono, Commander of the UPDF Artillery Division based in Masindi, had recently intensified surveillance in the area.
The incident comes amid renewed tension over the disputed land, where more than 1,000 people returned last year following orders issued by the then Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Dr Sam Mayanja.
On July 17, Brig Gen Moses Lukyamuzi, head of the Presidential Special Task Force on Land and Environment, visited the area and presented findings from the task force’s investigation.
Among its recommendations, the report called for the withdrawal of UPDF personnel from the disputed land, describing their deployment as inconsistent with the 2022 presidential directive on military involvement in land disputes. It also recommended that the status quo under a 2023 court order be maintained pending resolution of the dispute.
Maj Michael Obura Obella, who commands the UPDF personnel deployed in the area, has previously maintained that the soldiers were lawfully deployed and would only withdraw upon receiving official orders.
Some returnees have expressed confidence in the military presence than the proposed replacement of Uganda Police Force for security on the land they call home amid claims that many of them are foreigners from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while others have reported alleged arbitrary arrests by unidentified civilians, claims that have not been independently verified.
Mr Ajarva Acida, one of the applicants in the court case challenging the 2023 eviction, said he fears for his safety and the possibility of arbitrary arrest.
Human rights lawyers have since filed legal proceedings seeking protection for the returnees and compensation following the disputed 2023 eviction.