President Museveni orders compensation of Late Gen. Aronda’s widow to allow residents regain their land

By: Ismael Kasooha

KYANKWANZI

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the prime minister Rt. Hon. Nabbanja Robinah to ensure that the widow of late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, identified as Mrs. Patience Alinda Nyakairima, is compensated to allow the residents regain their land.

This was revealed by Nabbanja at the burial of an 87 year-old Dimitiria Nakyanzi in Kiyuni village, Gayaza sub county in Kyankwanzi District whose body had been allowed to be buried on the said land until the intervention of the President.

“The President has directed me to ensure that the government pays off Mrs. Patience Nyakairima 11bn shillings to allow the residents regain their land in this area. Government has already begun the process to compensate Mrs. Nyakairrima,” said Nabbanja.

The Premier laying a wreath at the casket containing the body of Dimitiria Nakyanzi during the burial ceremony in Kyankwanzi District

Nabbanja assured the affected persons that President Yoweri Museveni is aware of what they are going through and that is the reason he sent her to handle the matter.

The affected people are from seven villages of Kyerere East, Kiyuni, Birama, Kyakibenje, Butikiro, Dagaza and Kiyuni Central and covers an area estimated to be 3 square miles of land.

This follows reports that the widow of Late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima identified as Patricia Alinda Nyakairima had barred the family from burying the 87-year-old Dimitiria Nakyanzi at their ancestral land which prompted the President to intervene.

Nabbanja said that the President has ordered her to ensure that the government pays off Mrs. Alinda Nyakairima 11billion shillings so that the residents can regain their land.

“This Financial Year the government will pay Mrs. Aronda shs.3bn as part payment and in a phased manner, she will be cleared,” said Nabbanja.

Nabbanja told the evictees that the President was aware of their issues and was handling them to their logical conclusion.

The Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Nabbanja Robinah at the send off of the 87 year old Dimitiria Nakyanzi in Kaiyuni village, Gayaza Sub county Kyankwazi District

Aronda’s widow had even stopped the residents from burying the dead in the contested land and it is alleged that she even erased all the existing graves in the area.

The affected residents said that between Feb 28 and March 3^rd 2022, Mrs. Nyakairima with the Aid and protection of armed UPDF soldiers descended on their villages with 8 graders, 2 excavators, two tractors and started leveling the ground, leaving only the homes standing.

Some of these people settled on this land way back in 1964 but were evicted as illegal occupants.

“We were only left with where to sleep but we are not allowed to grow crops in the land. How do they expect us to survive,” asked one of the affected persons.

Nabbanja promised to invite the Lands Minister to resolve the matter so that sanity can prevail in the area.

The LC V Chairperson Kyankwanzi District Dr. John Mpuuga said that the eviction of the residents greatly affected their livelihoods leading to breakage of families, school dropouts and food security.

Some of the evictees narrated how they were forcefully evicted from their land in 2022 and all their crops erased and only their houses were spared.

End