Nakasongola Church faults Speaker Kumba for grabbing disputed land

Rev. Michael Kenyi Lemi addressed the p[ress on Sunday. (Photo: Radio Tamazuj)

The leadership of Christ Church Nakasongola on Sunday accused the speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) of using security agencies to forcefully grab the church’s land.

Earlier this month, at least two people died and two others were injured when shooting erupted while the church which is located directly behind and shares a fence with the TNLA was being demolished.

Addressing a press conference in Juba, Rev. Michael Kenyi Lemi, the General Overseer in the office of the Bishop of Christ Church Nakasongola, vowed to fight for the church’s land and blamed Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba for the destruction of the church, resultant deaths, and injuries.

“We would like to inform our Christians that the church has been in this place for over 40 years now and will not move anywhere. The parliament and Nunu Kumba are responsible for everything that happened and she is working day and night to destroy the image of South Sudan,” Rev. Lemi charged.

He denied claims by parliament that the church was compensated by the house and allotted another piece of land to relocate to.

“The church administration is not aware and has not participated in any gathering, dialogue or such or been served with any relevant documents as claimed by parliament. If they have a document saying that they have given the church land to relocate to, let them do it publicly. Why are they hiding?” he asked, adding, “We call upon parliament to produce evidence of payment, including, vouchers or bank slips, and names of the banks that the said money was paid to compensate for the land.”

Lemi also downplayed claims by John Agany, the chairperson of parliament’s information committee, that the impasse over the land was resolved in the East African Court of Justice in favor of the assembly.

“Hon. Agany lied that the case was heard in the East African Court of Justice and it was judged in favor of parliament,” he said. “We want to petition parliament to provide details of the court ruling, the days of the hearing, attendees, judges who ruled on the case, and the lawyers from the two parties.”

The churchman stated that the government was asked to file their defense in the East African Court but they failed to comply.

For his part, David Jambo, the son of the founding Bishop of the Church, said it is not the first time powerful people are trying to grab the church’s land. He claims that Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil also attempted to grab the land but failed and that this time is Speaker Kumba bidding to snatch it.

 “The land was given to the church by Former Central Equatoria Governor Clement Wani Konga in writing. Some business people brought Chinese to construct a hotel on the land but the Chinese refused and said the place is church,” he said. “After that, the SPLA tried to grab the land and failed and they are now using parliament. If you ask parliament to produce any document for the land, they do not have it.”

Jambo revealed that there is a mass grave on disputed land where over 90 people killed during the liberation struggle were buried and that the founder of the church is also interred on the same land.

When contacted, John Agany, the chairperson of parliament’s information committee, however, said that the Church lost the case of ownership of the land in a competent court in Juba and was asked to evacuate and that the court verdict led to the demolition of the church earlier this month.  

“After you are asked to evacuate the place what does it mean? Does it mean that you did not lose the case? How can they say that I am lying to the public while the court told them to leave the place?” he said. “I believe the competent court which made that verdict went through the documents and the papers are there.”

Agany defended Speaker Kumba, saying that she was not at the helm of parliament when a court ruled on the matter.

“I have no reason to lie to the public when I was not the judge who presided over the case. Do these people really have minds? Another thing is that when the court issued the verdict, Nunu (Kumba) was not the speaker,” he said. “The case was raised without myself or Nunu and it was an administrative matter which was done through parliament. So, where did Nunu come in?”