The State House Land Protection Unit, led by Brigadier Moses Lukyamuzi, has arrested two National Forest Authority (NFA) officials, John Kibuuka, the sector manager for Butambala, Gomba, and Mpigi, and Ronald Mutebi, the chief sector forest guard, for alleged abuse of office.
The arrests followed complaints from residents affected by forced evictions in central forest reserve areas.
During a meeting at Kalombe, which drew over 1,000 affected residents from villages including Nsowe, Kyabagamba, and Kalyabuwolu, victims recounted experiences of assault, torture, and property destruction linked to the evictions.
The evictions, reportedly enforced by soldiers since 2020 under the guise of halting encroachment, defied a court injunction issued in late 2021.
Victims described harrowing losses, including the destruction of homes, coffee and banana plantations, livestock theft, and maimed cattle.
Many were left destitute, forced to rent homes and engage in petty businesses for survival. Among them, Geoffrey Bendaki detailed how graders buried water sources to deny access to both animals and people, while Deborah Mbabazi accused the NFA of replacing evicted residents with new occupants without proper documentation or compensation.
Local authorities, including district police and MPs, were accused of ignoring the court order and victims’ plight, further fueling allegations of complicity.
Brigadier Lukyamuzi criticized the local police’s apparent bias and questioned the justification for destroying people’s property under the pretext of conservation.
Kibuuka defended the evictions as part of NFA’s conservation efforts but faced backlash for inconsistencies, including allowing new settlers on the land. After hearing the grievances, Brigadier Lukyamuzi ordered Kibuuka and Mutebi’s arrest and their transfer to Mpigi police for further questioning.
Victims followed the officials to the police station, determined to ensure justice and demand restitution for their losses. Lukyamuzi emphasized that while forest conservation is critical, it must not come at the cost of maliciously destroying people’s livelihoods.