The case involves Peter Baleke Kayiira and 400 others against the Attorney General and Kaweri Coffee. These 401 people were evicted in 2000 to give way for a coffee plantation.
Four villages, Kijunga, Kitemba, Kiryamakobe, and Luwunga, were affected. The evictions were done by people in army uniforms, and this forced the victims to go to court.
The case was filed in 2001 in the High Court, with help from organizations like Action Aid Uganda. In 2022, Justice Singh Chedore gave a reasonable judgment.
However, the State appealed, and the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial. When the case returned to court, 258 people decided to settle and not continue with the long legal process.
They worked with Network of Public Interest Lawyers, FIAN, and Action Aid Uganda, and signed a consent judgment on February 10, 2022. This left 143 people still in court, and they continue their case in Mubende High Court.
The journey of the 258 people moved forward. They are now receiving their money.
Counsel Kange Veronica from the network of Public Interest Lawyersnoted that as to date, 102 claimants have been fully paid, payments for 56 are almost done, while 19 people’s payments bounced back because of legal issues.
“We are resubmitting them for payment as well. Unfortunately, by the time of payment, 84 claimants had died, and we’ve only managed to get letters of administration for five. These will be paid directly. For the 79 others, their money will be kept in an escrow account with the Office of the Administrator General until they get the required documents. Then that office will handle their payments,” Counsel Veronica said.
She added, “We have people who are grateful they received something, even if small. They were paid what they asked for in 2001, so for some, it doesn’t feel like full justice.”
Esther Kisembo, Project Coordinator at ActionAid Uganda, said:
“What motivated Action Aid to help was because we work to fight social injustices. In this case, people lost homes, property, and land. Many became homeless and food insecure. Action Aid saw poor people suffering under the hands of the rich, so we stepped in.”
Assistant Resident District Commissioner (A/RDC), Andrew Solomon Musindi, also a victim, explained that after eviction, the 401 families came together to seek justice.
“I thank Action Aid, FIAN Uganda, and the lawyers, especially Madam Veronica. It’s been a hard 25-year journey. Yes, the money doesn’t match our losses, but it brought some justice,” he added.
He recalls that the eviction was brutal, as men with guns attacked their villages. “Some people ran into the forest, built small huts, and others left the area completely and relocated to other parts of the country,” he noted.
Musindi said he had over 300 acres but now has less than 40. After a court ruling gave them Shs 39.8 billion, the State appealed, and a retrial was ordered.
He also opted to be settled and accept Shs 4.5 million and move on, after the case dragging for so long.
One of the destroyed property was the community playground, which they are still trying to replace till now. Its destruction hurt youth sports activities.
Fred Balongo Bikwalira, vice chairperson of the playground committee, said they plan to build a new one.
“We received Shs 140.6 million as compensation. We’ll build a new playground on 2 hectares of Kabaka’s land in Naluwondwa Parish. We are waiting for permission from Buganda Land Board,” he noted.
He added, “We plan to use 80% of the money to build the playground and 20% for a Village Savings and Loan group. The money is still on the account while we work on land ownership.”
Mzee Antonio Mugerwa from Kijunga received Shs 16 million. He’s now building rental houses and growing coffee.
“Money came too late to replace what we lost, but it’s helping us rebuild,” he said.
Nakatte Maria Ntonino, now 86, was around 62 during the eviction. She received Shs 3 million, which she used for medical treatment.
The Fight for Justice Continues:
Mzee Baleke Kayiira Peter, a retired teacher, still leads the legal struggle.
He said, “My great-grandfather settled here. My grandfather, my father, myself, and my children were born here. This land is part of us.”
The disputed land, Block 99, and parts of Blocks 100 and 103—covers 12 square miles and is now owned by a foreign investor from Germany.
He described the eviction:
“Soldiers, guards, and police destroyed homes, burned crops, and set houses on fire. We fled to the forest. The elderly and children suffered. A soldier told me I was marked for execution, so I went into hiding.”
“They Wanted to Kill Me”
In June 2001, he attended a meeting where officials said alternative land was available at Block 168, but he didn’t believe them.
“Our fight is not just about land, but dignity. We were called squatters on our own land. But we won’t be erased. We fight for our children’s future.”
