KAMPALA – Four people have dragged the chairperson of the inquiry into land matters, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire and her commissioners for allegedly arresting them from their offices.
In their lawsuit filed before the High Court civil division, the four people; Annette Natukunda, Irene Akiteng, Immaculate Ayebazibwe, and Mr. Elly Ampurire have sued justice Bamugemereire in her individual capacity and all the commissioners that she works with.
The commissioners are; Ms. Joyce Gunze Habaasa, Dr. Rose Nakayi, Ms. Mary Oduka Ochan, Mr. Robert Ssebunya, Mr. Fred Ruhindi, Mr. George Bagonza Tinkamanyire, Gumisiriza, Dr. Douglas Singiza, and Attorney General.
According to the court documents, the group narrates that on March 12, 2019, three (Akiteng, Ayebazibwe, and Ampurire) of them while at their place of work at Masoli were attacked by a one Gumiziriza who immediately took away their telephone handsets ordering them sit down.
They claim that Gumiziriza asked them the whereabouts of their boss Ruta Ngambwa of Prime Real Estate Limited who is at the center of grabbing 630 acres of land in Buwaga, Makenke parish in Busukuma Sub-county in Wakiso District.
The three also claim that they were driven to Buwate at the residence of the Natukunda who informed Gumiziriza that she is the wife to Ngambwa but had not seen him for two days thus arresting her on commands of the chairperson and her commissioners.
The group contends that after spending long hours at the land inquiry commission, they were later transferred and detained in the police custody at Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala for a period of three days.
They state that they later produced the commission premises where they were informed Justice Bamugemereire had ordered for their release on commission bond without any charge or trial.
The four state that all these breaches of the law were committed at the watch of the AG who is a legal adviser to government and opted to abdicate his obligation to advise government entities.
Through their lawyers of S.K Kiiza & Co. Advocates want a declaration that Bamugemereire and her commissioners acted outside their mandate and power when they caused their arrest and detention without trial and that they are personally liable to them having acted outside their powers.
