By Our Reporter
Residents of Mbale Municipality have condemned security agencies and High Court for protecting Michael Mukhono, aka Musayi (Priest) a well-known land grabber who is on the run without trace.
According to reports obtained by The Public Lens, Mukhono, a resident of Namabasa Town Council has committed many crimes related to land and others yet police and Mbale High Court have failed to arrest him despite several cries from the poor residents whose land he has grabbed.
Sources within police in Mbale say the priest is being protected by Mbale RDC Mr Barasa Ogajo who was posted there recently. Residents are wondering how the security agencies in the whole Bugisu sub region cannot trace the whereabouts of Mukhono who is believed to be hiding somewhere in his village in Manafwa District after learning that court wants him over several cases related to land grabbing, attempted murder, violence among others.
When contacted on this matter, the Mbale RDC Barasa Ogajo denied ever having links or shielding the said pastor, and said he has also received complaints from residents about the same issue. “We as the security team of Mbale are hunting this man down, we are having clues and soon we shall arrest him. It’s not my duty to shield criminals and yet am the head of the District Security Committee,” said Ogajo.
Residents also want to know why authorities in Mbale have failed to arrest Mukhono’s emissaries who work on his behalf and are well known to them. “How can police and court communicate, share and receive messages of a hiding criminal?”asked a resident who has a case against Mukhono. “Even his lawyer Magellan Wolube of Wolube & CO. Advocates must be arrested since he communicates with him,” he added.
The Ministry of Justice and Constitution Affairs recently released a list of lawyers who are not supposed to represent anyone in court yet Wolube does so under the watchful eye of Mbale High Court officials.
Residents of Namabasa want the self-styled priest to be evicted from their area because he is a big problem to them. But they say the RDC Ogajo has always defended the man who also keeps a group of criminals who beat those opposed to him.
Mukhono not long ago organised his men who seriously beat and injured UMEME workers who had gone to disconnect his buildings due to nonpayment of electricity bills. That case is recorded at Mbale Central Police Station. Days ago his men also beat up residents over land, one is nursing serious injuries at Cure Hospital in Mbale.
Mukhono is also on record for attempting to grab about 70 acres of land from a family in Doko on Mbale-Tirinyi road, neighbouring the Sino-Uganda Industrial park in Mbale being developed by Tian Tang Group. Sources say one of the family members works in State House and was able to get support to get the family’s land back. A related case is still in court.
Mukhono who allegedly operates a cult-like church, also grabbed several plots of land from widows and orphans, including the one where his church (Mt Elgon Baptist Church) as well as one where his houses stand. He is also believed to be a false prophet who claims to heal diseases and as such a number of people have died at his church.
Sources say he doesn’t want his followers to go to hospital before informing him. “Over a year ago a pregnant woman died at his church while giving birth. He had advised her not to go to hospital, saying he would pray for her to deliver normally,” a resident said.
Mukhono’s efforts to grab widow’s plot in Mbale Town
Mukhono is also working hard to grab plot 9 on Pallisa Road from a widow Alice Kimaswa, wife to late Davis Kimaswa Mangula, a former MP who represented South Bugisu East Constituency. He was one of the politicians in Mbale who helped hide President Museveni as he escaped from Amin’s soldiers in 1973.
The widow has spent over 10 years in Mbale High Court but court has not helped her. He gets rent from the building yet Mrs. Alice Kimaswa, aged 85, who possesses the land title, goes hungry. Due to corruption in Mbale High Court, she has failed to get justice. The police and court officials know the plot belongs to the old lady but have failed to help her chase away the thieving pastor.
According to reports obtained by this newspaper, Lady Justice Suzan Okalany the Senior Resident Judge Mbale and Hon. Justice Tadeo Asiimwe Resident Judge, Mbale are aware of the trouble the old lady has faced in court yet they have failed to give a fair judgement. Court at one time asked Mukhono to give the old lady a fraction of the rent that he collects, but he has not fulfilled that order.
The Old lady is now appealing to Justice Benjamin Kabiito Chairperson, Judicial Service Commission and Hon. Lady Justice Irene Mulyagonja Inspector General of Government and President Museveni to intervene on her behalf.
This is because her Lawyer Samuel Wegoye has not done enough to help her chase the pastor from her property. Other sources say money is exchanging hands between the lawyers on both sides to the disadvantage of the old lady Alice Kimaswa who doesn’t have the money to fight the pastor who is good at bribing policemen and judicial officers. Mukhono’s lawyer operates his offices on the same plot that Mukhono wants to grab.
Case in point is on 26/11/ 2012; when Justice V.T Zuhurikize issued a consent decree that does not favour widow Alice Kimaswa at all but favours Mukhono, who started operating on the former’s plot from 2006 and has been collecting the rent he has never accounted for. The widow claims the consent order must have been doctored. She wants the consent order to be set aside for breach of contract but her lawyer Wegoye has not asked for this legal provision.
