JUDGEMENT IN NFA, OMUKAMAS CASE FAILS AGAIN

By Yosam Gucwaki
www.mknewslink.com
In Hoima
Court has for the second time failed to deliver judgment in a case between the National Forestry Authority (NFA) and the Omukama of Bunyoro Solomon Gafabusa Iguru.
NFA jointly sued Omukama and Hoima Sugar in 2016 accusing them of encroaching and degrading Bugoma forest reserve in Hoima district when he gave it to the sugar company to grow sugarcane on it.
The forestry authority also accuses Omukama of alleged fraudulent concealment when he silently acquired a freehold land title on the part of the land from the Uganda land commission.
Court was supposed to deliver a ruling in the case last month but it failed to do so after Masindi high court resident judge, Albert Atwooki Rugadya withdrew from it without giving reason.
Masindi assistant court registrar Simon Kintu Zirintusa later revealed that the case would be assigned to another judge and consequently adjourned the judgment to yesterday.
The parties yesterday turned up for the ruling but were told the ruling could not be delivered since the case had not been assigned to another judge.
A court staff who did not want to be named told our reporter that the new date for the ruling will be communicated to the parties after assigning the case to another judge.
NFA is seeking a court declaration that Omukamas stay and utilization of the forest reserve is illegal and amounts to trespass.
The disputed land is located on plot 216, Buhaguzi block 2 which is held by Hoima Sugar.
However the Omukama denies the allegations. He contends that the disputed part of the forest is an ancestral place of Kyangwali which forms the original seat of the kingdom headquarters and is not part of Bugoma.

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