Nakasongola church. | Courtesy

The Transitional National Legislative Assembly urges the public to disregard a video circulating on social media alleging that Rt. Hon. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba took a church land at the parliament quarter for personal interest.

RTNLA spokesperson Hon. Oliver Mori said the land registered plot No. 02 at First Class Block was allocated in 1972 by Greater Equatorial Leaders to host the regional government, led by Moulana Abel Alier Kuac.

Hon. Mori narrated that internally displaced persons and refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo who settled on the Christ Church Nakasongola built in the area were subsequently compensated and resettled in 2011.

According to the lawmaker, the land was resettled again over the years, prompting the Ministry of Justice to issue an eviction order which led to the church’s demolition on July 4, 2023.

However, protests erupted as the church was being torn down. Police confirmed that security officers fired in the air near the parliament premise to disperse civilians protesting the demolition of a disputed land hosting a church.

Resistance to the eviction escalated into violence, resulting into casualties, including a police officer and two civilians with three others injured in the process.

In a press conference on Friday, Hon. Mori said the social media accusations against Speaker Nunu and other individuals are “entirely fabricated” and should be disregarded.

He called on the public to rely on verified facts and avoid being misled by misinformation, citing that public land should not be personalized and blamed on the current speaker.

“The issue of this plot should not be personalized. Nunu has nothing to do with it. Hana Kaku who’s the secretary of SPLM in Central Equatoria, has nothing to do with it,” he said.

“Because none of them actually had a document to show that the plot belongs to any one of them. This is the plot of the parliament, and this is the plan of the parliament to build the Assembly.”

“This is a government plot; a parliament plot as per these documents. Already engineers are coming. It is already contracted for people to start building. So Nunu has nothing to do with that piece of land.”

In response, Rev. Michael Kenyi Lemi, General Overseer of Christ Church Nakasongola, challenged the parliament’s leadership to disclose the names of individuals who might have illegally taken compensation and resettlement on behalf the church.

“I said the one who signed the money, you produce his signatory. The money was given to who? Because our late father has never told us he has signed any money,” Kenyi said.

“We have leadership. Until now we are in the office. When he left us, he has never signed any money from the government. If it is a lie, then prove me right. Let them produce those documents.”

“That person who might have signed the money is the one who sold the church to the government will be accountable to the government. As I speak right now, let them take that money taken from the government because the church administration here did not take any money.”

For his part, Pastor David Jambo, Deacon of Bible Study at Christ Church Nakasongola, refuted the resettlement and compensation exercise stated by RTNLA spokesperson.

“If church is compensated, why are they still cost complaining and fellowshipping in an empty space along the road? Will people have clashed during the demolition? All these would have not happened,” said.

“If they claimed to have compensated the church with piece of plot, where are the documents? Lokulili is not demarcated up to now. We asked the same parliament last year to identify the person who receive the land tittle but they changed their statement, that they gave money.”