SEMBABULE DISTRICT — Several officers from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces have been deployed to Kakinga Farm in Nabitanga Sub-county, Lwemiyaga County, following a violent confrontation that left a security officer seriously injured and several farm workers nursing bruises.
The incident occurred when an angry group of individuals armed with pangas and spears allegedly stormed the farm owned by businessman Paul Ssembeguya, claiming they were fighting for what they described as their land rights.
Among those injured was Richard Dhikusoka, the head of security at Kakinga Farm, who sustained deep cuts to the head and face after being attacked during the chaos. Several other workers reportedly suffered multiple injuries and bruises.
The disputed land forms part of a ranch that was allocated to Ssembeguya by President Yoweri Museveni to facilitate the expansion of a goat multiplication centre under the State House Poverty Alleviation Programme. Authorities have also held discussions on transforming part of the area into an industrial park, a development that has heightened tensions among individuals who have been utilizing sections of the land.
According to Ssembeguya, conflicts have persisted despite a memorandum of understanding signed between the farm management and local cultivators engaged in maize farming and charcoal production on portions of the property.
He alleges that many of the occupants migrated from neighbouring areas in search of agricultural land and have since become increasingly confrontational.
Ssembeguya further revealed that he has repeatedly requested the establishment of a police post in the area to curb criminal activities, including livestock theft, but his appeals have not yet been addressed.
He also claimed that approximately 40 animals disappeared from the farm during the latest confrontation.
Addressing residents and rival factions at Kakinga Farm, Kasijjagirwa Division Army Commandant Brig. Jackson Kajoba said the military deployment was intended solely to restore calm and maintain law and order, emphasizing that it was not linked to any planned land evictions.
Brig. Kajoba disclosed that security agencies had earlier received reports alleging that a group of Congolese workers at the farm was planning violent attacks. However, subsequent investigations found the information to be false.
He urged all parties to cooperate with security agencies and avoid actions that could escalate tensions, while calling for the maintenance of the status quo as investigations continue.
”The role of the UPDF is to preserve peace and ensure that no further violence occurs as the relevant authorities address the underlying issues,” Brig. Kajoba said.
The conflict at Kakinga Farm is part of a broader pattern of land disputes affecting the region. Earlier this month, nearly 50 households were reportedly displaced following another land-related conflict in Ntyazo, Lwemiyaga Sub-county.
Residents say some of the disputes have persisted for more than three decades, resulting in loss of life, destruction of property, displacement of families, and the killing of livestock.
Several temporary homes have also been set ablaze over the years as efforts to find a lasting resolution continue to face challenges.
Authorities are currently investigating the latest violence at Kakinga Farm as security remains heightened in the area.
