Sometimes, life sacks at some point, especially when age catches up with you.
For 75-year-old Ruth Bugwera, that moment arrived five years ago, when she was evicted from her ancestral land in Nakanyonyi village, Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council.
Her story is one of enduring pain and deep emotional turmoil, and it is not the first time her plight has made headlines. During a recent follow-up visit, we witnessed the troubles this eviction has caused her.
When Bugwera saw our vehicle approaching her home, she quickly leaped off the verandah and rushed inside, peering cautiously through a window. Only when she heard her stepson’s voice did she relax.
What followed was a surprising burst of laughter. “Don’t worry, my dear sons, I madly laugh to cover my sorrow,” she said, but the laughter masked the heartache she has carried for years.
Her pain stems from a bitter land dispute that has plagued her family since the death of her late husband, Paul Kaburamboga, whose family land became the center of the conflict.
The case has disrupted the peace and unity that once existed in her home, leaving Ruth to face the harsh reality of losing everything she had built alongside her husband.
For years, the family seemed united, with love and mutual respect at its core. However, trouble began when Sarah’s grandchildren, Moses Kaddu, James Lubowa, and Ruth Wanyana, became desperate due to financial struggles and sought to claim part of the ancestral land.
In 2019, they requested a portion of the land to sell, but the family administrator, Moses Kariisa, denied their request.
The dispute escalated when the grandchildren took their claim to the Nakifuma/Naggalama town council land committee court, asserting that the entire ten-acre plot belonged to them and that the other family members were occupying it illegally.
The court ruled in their favour, triggering shockwaves within the family. However, the Mukono High Court later overturned the decision, declaring it invalid, and issued an order to stop any further developments on the land.
Despite the court ruling, land dealer Jumah Kayondo continued his efforts to seize the property, even fencing off areas of land belonging to the Kaburamboga family.
For Bugwera, the consequences have been devastating. She has lost her gardens, her latrine, and her peace of mind, leaving her living in fear.
“I am tormented every night when stones are thrown at my house. I beg my neighbors to let me use their land to grow food, but after one season, they chase me away,” she said, tears in her eyes.
Bugwera’s story reflects so many older individuals who are victims of land evictions.
The emotional, physical, and social toll on elderly evictees is profound, affecting their quality of life and overall well-being.
Despite ongoing legal efforts from family members like Kariisa to seek justice, the case remains unresolved after two years.
Kariisa fears that land broker Jumah Kayondo is influencing the judicial process, citing reports that Kayondo has been bribing officials to delay the case.
Recently, Kayondo was arrested in Wakiso for land grabbing, though he was released by the Kira Magistrates Court.
In Nakifuma, Kayondo has been seen driving government vehicles with red number plates, usually reserved for high-ranking officials, suggesting powerful backing in his efforts to secure land at no cost. One of these vehicles, No. UG 2121C, was recently grounded by police.
Meanwhile, several police officers, who have overseen Bugwera’s unlawful eviction, have reportedly benefited from the situation, constructing homes on the disputed land.
Bugwera continues to suffer, but her story calls for urgent support, compassion, and justice for elderly individuals facing eviction.
“What else can I do? or where else can I go? Who to run to for assistance? I am helpless,” she wonders.
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