By Spy Uganda
The Kiboga Magistrates Court has convicted and sentenced Ainebyona Ronald to one and a half years’ imprisonment or a fine of Shs3.5 million for his role in violent land evictions in Kiboga District.
Ainebyona was found guilty of forcible entry, malicious damage, and assault causing actual bodily harm following an incident that occurred on March 14, 2025, at Lwakonge Village. Court heard that the convict forcefully seized land comprised in Block 542, Plot 2, and violently evicted several occupants.
During the operation, Ainebyona destroyed crops and other plantations on the disputed land and assaulted some of the residents, causing injuries. The prosecution successfully argued that the actions were unlawful and carried out without any court-sanctioned authority.
The conviction follows investigations initiated after a directive by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Brig Gen Henry Isoke, to probe the criminal aspects of the matter. The investigations were conducted in coordination with other government agencies, including the Ministry of Lands, the Inspector General of Police, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The case arises from a long-standing land dispute involving land claimed by a group of departed Asians, who hold a freehold title dating back to 1932, and Mwanje Badru, who acquired a mailo title to the same land in 1999. Ainebyona told investigators that he was acting on behalf of the departed Asians when he carried out the evictions of Mwanje and other residents.
Court officials said the ruling sends a strong warning against violent self-help measures in land disputes, emphasizing that disagreements over land ownership must be resolved through lawful processes rather than force.
The judgment is expected to have wider implications for ongoing land conflict cases in the region, where illegal evictions and destruction of property have remained a persistent challenge.
