The select Committee of Parliament investigating the eviction of Hoima residents by security personnel from a contested chunk of land in February this year has heard that four children were killed during the brutal events.
One year-old Samuel Owuuchi, Stephen Ondizi, Rogers Jalwing and Samuel Awungi, all below 2-years-old ages are the toddlers that died brutally. On Wednesday the Select Committee of parliament chaired by Bukholi North MP Gaster Mugoya Kyawa visited the contested land on a fact finding mission and learned of the deaths.
The land measuring 485 acres is at the center of a dispute between Edgar Agaba, a businessman in Hoima town and more than 500 families. Now, residents told legislators that the minors where killed when a combined team of police and military officers brutally evicted them from their ancestral land covering Kyabisagazi 1 and Kyabisagazi 2 villages in Kyabisagazi parish Kigorobya Sub County on February 13th, 2019.
Some of the minors were left behind by their parents who were running for dear life because the officers stormed their homes and opened fire around 3am under the guys to tracking down rebels.
Hon. Gasper Mugoya Kyawa the select committee chairperson condemned the manner in which the minors met their death at the hand of security, wondering why what started as a cordon and search operation ended into torching resident’s homes, destruction of food crops, harassment, torture and raping of women.
Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga constituted the select committee on March 6th after the Ora County Member of parliament; Lawrence Biyika Songa brought the matter to the attention of parliament on February 21, 2019.
The select committee is operating under six terms of reference including studying all claims of ownership on the disputed land, investigating allegations relating to identity and status of persons evicted, examining the involvement and conduct of security officers in the eviction of families.
The other committee members are Budaka Woman MP, Pamela Kamoga Naiso, Makindye East MP, Ibrahim Kasozi Biribawa, Bududa Woman MP, Justine Khainza, UPDF Representative, Brig. Flavia Byekwaso, Oyam Woman MP, Santa Alum, and Busiki County MP, Paul Akamba.
