Heartless!! UPDF Colonel Accused of Using Army Commandos to Steal Her Father’s Home, Tortures Him To Nearly Death

A 73-year-old man, James Wakabenga Wanyera, says he is living in fear and pain after his own children, led by Col Betty Musuya, former Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Director for Women Affairs, allegedly forced him out of his home.

Relatives allege that armed soldiers were stationed to bar Wanyera from accessing his property, turning the once notable landlord into a virtual squatter.

The family home, located in Bumasikye village, Sironko parish, Bukhulo sub-county, Sironko District, is now occupied by soldiers and a security guard, while Wanyera has been left to stay in a makeshift structure that he and his late wife had previously used as a grocery shop. Wanyera, a former driver, claims that Col Musuya is using her military influence to frustrate his land ownership rights.

“I can’t access my home. My daughter has deployed UPDF personnel at the doorway, and they instead forced me to stay in a makeshift structure. The guard lives in the house I built even before she was born,” Wanyera told The New Vision.

A Family Tragedy Sparks the Dispute

The feud began after the death of Wanyera’s wife, Mary Kakai, on January 30, 2022. Wanyera says his wife had been living with Col Musuya in Namugongo, where she developed health complications. Despite repeated pleas to bring her home for care, Wanyera claims his daughter declined. He recalls being blocked from viewing her body at Bombo Military Hospital and that during the burial on February 1, 2022, Col Musuya read the post-mortem report herself, leaving him sidelined.

Wanyera initially moved into a nearby grocery shop to allow visiting relatives to occupy the main house. However, just two days later, when he attempted to return home, he was stopped by two UPDF officers allegedly deployed by his daughter. His belongings, including bedding and clothes, were reportedly seized without explanation.

Land Rights Ignored

Wanyera had legally divided his land equally among all his children in October 2012, according to a document issued by the chairperson of Bustongola clan, Bukhulo sub-county.

Despite this, he claims his children destroyed his crops and barred him from entering his home. Local authorities, including LC1 Chairperson Alice Wabaya, confirm that armed men have been deployed in the village and that police were allegedly instructed to arrest Wanyera without justification.

Wanyera has appealed to senior military leaders, including President Yoweri Museveni, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and Maj. Gen. Richard Otto, Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS). On September 22, 2025, human rights activists in the Elgon sub-region, led by Yusuf Makweta, petitioned the UPDF to take action.

A letter dated October 10, 2025, warned that inaction could damage the UPDF’s reputation. On October 14, DIS officers visited the family and took statements, but Wanyera says they did not withdraw the armed personnel or restore his access to the home. A senior DIS officer confirmed that the case is under investigation, citing the department’s heavy workload.

Wanyera lamented, “These are my children, and despite the fact that I sacrificed and took each of them to school, none of them has thought of supporting me. Besides kicking me out of my home and denying me access to my gardens, they have chosen to make my life very hard. I have no one else to run to.”

This unfolding situation raises concerns about the abuse of military power in personal family conflicts and the protection of elderly citizens in Uganda, underscoring a troubling overlap of authority, family, and law with painful consequences.

When contacted, Col Musuya told New Vision that the matter was being handled by her bosses.

This story has partly been reported by New Vision.