"2 Years Down, Rwamutonga Evictees Await Justice"

High court Masindi has indefinitely postponed the hearing of the Rwamutonga case where more than 200 families were brutally evicted to pave way for the construction of oil waste treatment plant, Oil in Uganda has learnt. Justice Albert Rugadya Atwoki, High Court resident judge Masindi was expected to give a ruling on an application on January 19, 2017 but informed the court that he would make a ruling on notice.

According to Bashir Twesigye, Executive Director Civic Response on Environment and Development, the judge’s move to make his ruling on notice shows that the judge is not comfortable with the case hence the hesitation to make a decisive ruling. “Hon. Justice Rugadya should not have any excuse ruling on the case because he has had six months to study the case,” he argued. “The judge making a ruling on notice means that he will make a decision when he feels ready,” he explained...adding that since the first ruling was done last year, this second ruling would give the evictees a mileage and has been pending for a year.

The families were evicted in August 2014 from the two pieces of land; one titled in the names of Robert Bansigaraho and another in Joshua Tibagwa. The affected families have since been living in Kakoopo Internally Displaced Persons camp (IDP) with no stable  source of livelihood.