West Nile elders reject Land Bill



Tabu Butagira



West Nile A section of leaders in West Nile region have rejected the Land (Act Amendment) Bill, 2007, saying it was intended to “steal” their land.



In a meeting last Monday, the leaders said Section 32(b) of the Bill that provides that any sitting tenant can only be evicted upon a court order and after requisite compensation, amounts to dispossessing customary land owners of their inheritance.



“We do not have the money for such court battles with squatters,” Mr John Go’do, an elder said.

“Who are these tenants claiming interest in other people’s customary land?” Mr Go’do wondered while echoing sentiments expressed by many others in the meeting.



They told MPs Ms Christine Bako (FDC, Arua Woman) and Mr John Arumadri (FDC, Madi-Okollo) - who organised the meeting - that any of them who votes in favour of the Bill in Parliament “should remain in Kampala”.



“West Nile MPs are requested to lobby their colleagues to defeat this Land Bill and should walk out of the Parliament [during voting] in case they fail [to muster enough support],” reads one of the 12-point resolutions.



This unanimous rejection catapults the growing nationwide discontent with the proposed land law to new heights especially that it is coming moments after government technocrats introduced last minute changes to make the Bill more appealing.



“I am now on the pedestal to vote against this (Land Act Amendment) Bill, which our elders have said no to,” MP Bako said adding, “It would be utter disrespect not to listen to and uphold the voices of the people I represent”.



The elders threatened that if the government insists on enacting the Bill into law, West Nile residents would consider seceding and joining neghbouring DR Congo, where they say they belonged until 1914 when the region officially became part of Uganda.



They said the timing of the Bill was suspect and appears to be designed to entrench the Balaalo nomads in various parts of the country where they have settled of late.



Already, a number of communities led by the Baganda have denounced the Land Act Amendment Bill (2007) as a legal plan by top government officials to grab land. But the government insists the new law will protect tenants.





Buganda eye dda yali erwanira wamu naye eya kakyo kano buli omu alowooza kulubuto lwe nakutunula kumpi awatali kulowooza ku kiki ekinabaawo enkya singa twegatta nga amawanga amalala bwegakola bwekituuka okubakwatira kukyabwe, ssinga omulabe twamuwangula dda .tukyalina olugendo

Buganda leaders in secret meet over Land Bill



Ruling party legislators who hail from Buganda sub-region secretly met the Vice President last week for discussions that sought to harmonise Mengo’s position with that of the government on the Land Bill 2007, a head of a scheduled meeting with President Museveni.



Prof. Gilbert Bukenya reportedly invited legislators on Wednesday to his office in Kampala for crunch discussions, a source said, that also aimed at generating a unified position of the Buganda caucus to the government’s proposed changes to the Land Bill.



According to the source that preferred anonymity, the MPs agreed to a proposal that what is left of Buganda’s 9000 square miles be included in the Bill, under the customary land tenure system.



“We shall demand from the President that Buganda’s 9000 sq miles be included under land the customary tenure system so that it is not given away by the district land boards,” said the source, adding, “We want a separate provision where all former public land be included under customary land.”



Among its new amendments, the government is pushing the proposal that the district land board should not allocate land which is owned under customary tenure and where the districts land boards allocates this land, the transaction shall be rendered void.



The government had earlier empowered the state to regulate customary land, a position that was rejected by Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja and Busoga sub-regions, arguing that the government was hiding behind the law to help intruders grab their ancestral land.



Currently, the 9000sq miles do not fall under any of the four land tenure systems although the government said most of it has since been parcelled out by leases and free hold interests and that whatever is left is now vested in district land boards.



The MPs also agreed to ask Mr Museveni to institute an independent commission of inquiry into reports that senior officials in his administration were occupying part of Buganda’s much cherished land.

The legislators also rejected a proposal in the Bill to allow the minister determine annual ground rent in case district land boards fail to do so within the stipulated six months period.



“The district land boards were frustrated and that is why they failed to deliver but we believe they can perform their duties once facilitated,” said an MP who preferred anonymity. The source said two ministers; Ms Ruth Nankabirwa (state for Defence) and Ms Janat Mukwaya, (Gender) openly opposed the proposals to have the Lands Minister determine ground rent.



Both MPs and the ministers argued that the Land’s minister should not come in directly, but as a last resort when the land boards have totally failed. Prof. Bukenya reportedly told the MPs that President Museveni would soon meet the Kabaka not saying when.



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46 years on Since the 09th Oct 1962, But is Uganda economically Independent? Any one got some thing to say?

Munange Nze kyoloowoza kye ngenderalako. Oba mbadeki sikyasobola naku 2 think on ma own.
Naye let me try I think we are not yet there but slowly we shall.
Sorry mbadde ntegeza kano naye kano nekesogawo!

Uganda is not economically independent.

I would like to thank every Ugandan contributing to Ugandan economy, was reliably informed that your remittances back home reach direct to our people who need help most, than the Aid, grants and loans from the developed contries.

My simple formula is lets start from the grass root by providing safe water to our loved ones who havent got access to such facilities. As we cerebrate 46 years since independence, lets go on and compete with the so-called "foreign Aid". Now that we have connect Uganda to heal our stress lets get on with it. Since the Donors give with strings attached!!

Kale abaana bekka tweyongereyo ngenno Connect bwe sekula emibbimba!!
Long live Connect.