On October 4 last year, High Court Judge Tadeo Asiimwe ruled that businessman Medard Kiconco is the rightful owner of the disputed 85 acres of land in Lusanja along Mpererwe-Kiteezi road, and gave residents 30 days within which they should leave the land to pave way for Kiconco to do what he wants to do on it.
The residents appealed the judge’s ruling, and they have got a breather as a different High Court Judge, Justice Henrietta Wolayo has today, Thursday March 5, 2020 blocked Kiconco from evicting them.
Justice Wolayo has issued a “Stay of Execution” order in consideration of hundreds of Lusanja residents that were about to be evicted.
The land wrangle
Towards the end of 2018, a fierce battle about who the rightful owner of over 85 acres of land in Lusanja along Mpererwe-Kiteezi road broke out where businessman Medard Kiconco used his eviction team to destroy houses and other properties of over 127 residents of the area.
Kiconco’s actions drew in wide coverage from the media and attracted politicians and the general public who majorly sympathized with the residents. The residents dragged Kiconco to court in search of justice and solace, but Kiconco also filed a case where he demanded compensation of over Shs500 million in damages in damages.
Kiconco did not get the compensation, but got the eviction ruling in his favour as Court based its ruling on the evidence presented that showed that these residents bought the land from a one Crispa Bitarabeho who had no right to sell, making their titles and agreements null and void.
Court said that what makes Kiconco the rightful owner of the land at Lusanja is that he bought it from the lawful owner Paul Katabazi Bitabareho in 2016. The outcome of this ruling had rendered over 300 families homeless.