Kibuku, Uganda: Chaos erupted in Kibuku District on Saturday evening after a land dispute between relatives escalated into mob violence, leaving a permanent house torched, livestock looted, and several mourners, including a pastor, arrested by police.
The unrest followed the attempted burial of Sikola Nyomera Baguma, a 40-year-old former Woman Councillor for Lwatama Parish, who died on Friday morning in a motorcycle accident along the Buseta–Kapyani road while heading to buy vegetables for her daily business.
Tensions climaxed when mourners transported Sikola’s body to the compound of her relative and land case opponent, Bazibuzu Frank, known locally as “Lawyer.” The group began digging a grave next to his house in defiance of the ongoing court battle over the disputed land.
When Bazibuzu blocked the burial, the situation spiralled into violence. A mob set his permanent home ablaze, a structure roofed with about 200 iron sheets, before slaughtering several cows, driving away an estimated 70 head of cattle, and looting livestock and property, which included over 500 chickens, 50 turkeys, 15 goats and 5 pigs.
Timber valued at three truckloads, according to Bazibuzu in an interview with DailyExpress.
Police fired tear gas after the first responding team was overwhelmed by the crowd. Reinforcements later arrested several individuals, among them a prominent area Pastor Kirya Brian, of Lwatama Sub-county and Pastor of Sunrise Global Church, Balonde Febiano, alongside his church member Appolo Gumisiriza, a Bukenye resident working in Mbale.
Pastor Kirya insisted he had come “only to pray,” distancing himself from the violence.
Police exhumed the body, which had already been lowered into the grave, and transferred it to the mortuary at Kibuku Health Centre IV.
A police officer at the scene, speaking anonymously, condemned the mob action: “How can an accidental death be connected to a land matter that is already in court?”
Lwatama Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Kato Azalia appeared briefly at the scene but declined to comment.
By press time, authorities were yet to issue an official statement regarding the violent incident, arrests, charges, and next steps in the investigation.
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