Chairman TULIPONA Veterans Association hunted for allegedly forging the seal and signature of Omukama

KIKUUBE – Gideon Tumwebaze, the Chairman of TULIPONA Veterans Association hunted for allegedly forging the seal and signature of Omukama is in trouble for allegedly forging Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, Solomon Gafabusa Iguru’s signature and seal with intent to grab land belonging to Hoima Sugar limited in Kikuube district.

It is alleged that Tumwebaze presented a letter dated October 4, 2021 allegedly signed by Omukama Iguru and addressed to Florence Kiconco, the head of legal department at State House indicating that the King had offered him land measuring 2000 acres in Nyairongo parish Kabwoya sub-county Kikuube district.

The 2000 acres of land is part of the 21 square miles which Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom leased to Hoima Sugar Ltd for 99 years to grow sugarcane for the production of sugar in Kikuube district.

TULIPONA Veterans Association which is purported to have 500 members is accused of invading part of this land claiming that it was offered to them by Omukama Iguru.

The group claim that the land was given to them by Omukama Iguru in 2015 but the Kingdom Prime Minister, Andrew Byakutaga in September this year, issued a notice noting that the Omukama has never offered any piece of land to the veteran’s association.

Byakutaga’s statement forced the Kikuube district security committee led by the RDC Amlan Tumusiime to order the group to vacate the land. It is alleged that security discovered most of the people in the group were not veterans as claimed. Tumusiime found out that they were only ferried from neighboring districts while others were from Burundi.

However, Tumwebaze and his group protested the resolution to evict them and petitioned the president’s office where he presented a letter, he claimed had been written by Omukama Iguru reaffirming his offer of land.

A group of officials from State House recently stormed Bunyoro investigating the claim of the veterans.

However, Premier Byakutaga in his letter October 26, 2021 addressed to the State House legal department disregarded Tumwebaze’s letter saying, it was forged and challenged police to investigate the matter.

Responding to Byakutaga’s letter, in the phone interview, Gideon Tumwebaze said the letter he presented to State House was 100% authentic affirming that Omukama offered them the contested land in 2015.

He says, the letter in question was offered to him by Omukama outside the Palace without the knowledge of the Prime Minister and other kingdom officials.

He advised all those questioning his letter to challenge him in the courts of law and he is ready to defend himself instead of tarnishing his name.

“When I heard the Prime Minister and other Kingdom officials dismissing our offer, I used different means to access the Omukama and he signed another letter reaffirming the offer he made to me in 2015,” he said.

When contacted for a comment, last week RDC Tumusiime confirmed the development adding that police had launched a hunt for Tumwebaze to come and explain issues surrounding the letter.

https://thecooperator.news/mtn-rallies-bunyoro-kitara-kingdom-subjects-on-shares/

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Sheema: District Veterinary Officer calls for animal compensation policy

SHEEMA – Sheema District Veterinary Officer (DVO) has appealed to legislators to consider drafting the animal compensation policy.

This comes at a time when the district is battling a number of animal diseases since February 2020. The most recent, being African Swine Fever that has claimed more than 60 pigs in Kitagata sub-county.

These diseases include; Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), African Swine Fever and Lumpy Skin Disease.

“In February last year, we were battling Peste Petits Ruminants (the disease in small ruminants that is goats and sheep) where many died. If we had a compensation policy, it would not be the equivalent to the cost of quarantine when farmers are not trading,” said Dr Joseph Amanya, DVO Sheema district.

The DVO says, the compensation policy would help to tract the animal diseases in time whenever there is any outbreak.

Currently in Uganda, there is no policy gazzeted in the Animal Husbandry Act which allows compensation of farmers whenever they lose their animals.

“I think those are some of the issues that the Ministry of Animal Husbandry should work on because in such cases, we would have slaughtered all the animals and disposed them off and compensated the farmers to control the African Swine Fever there and then,” Amanya explained.

Speaking to Dr Ronald Bameka, the DVO Lyantonde, confirmed that the policy of compensation is being pushed in Parliament for disease control.

“There is an ongoing amendment on the animal policy in Parliament, we have been pushing for it,” says Bameka.

However, Bameka is worried about the determinations on who will get compensated and how much farmers will receive as compensation.

Approximately, Sheema district has around 60,000 goats and sheep, 35,000 heads of cattle and a total of 30,000 pigs reared among the 47,360 households in the district.

Amanya says, a total of more than 60 pigs have already died because of the current African Swine Fever in the district.

Alex Boona, one of the affected farmers confirmed the death of 21 pigs from his farm.

“I heard that there was a farmer who lost about 60 pigs, then my neighbor lost about five while I lost all the 21 pigs,” Boona said.

He appealed to the government for drugs to vaccinate the few remaining pigs in the district which Dr Amanya opposed saying, African Swine Fever has no treatment.

“It’s a viral disease and its not treatable and there is no vaccine that has been developed against African Swine Fever like any other viral disease,” Amanya replied.

He adds that being a transboundary disease, it has so far traversed to districts of Bushenyi, Sheema, Mitoma and Buhweju.

Dr Amanya also encouraged local farmers to start modern piggery farming in order to have a complete meaningful farming.

“We need people who are certified breeders, then those who make feeds, while others are fattening,” said Amanya.

https://thecooperator.news/ministry-of-agriculture-needs-shs-20bn-for-foot-mouth-vaccines/

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