Land; Museveni is on the loose



LAND BILL : Beti Kamya



Buganda’s land hullabaloo is not an isolated case but an expression of mistrust of President Museveni, culminating out of their experiences during the 27-year relationship. Most people opposed to the Land Act Amendment Bill do not know a word of it. All they have is gut-feeling that Museveni’s motives are suspect, because they know that he is a tribalist who cannot be trusted.



When Museveni led Baganda to the bush to fight, they submitted to him, trusting that he was the Messiah sent to deliver them from president Obote.



Baganda reminisce with bitterness the war during which they fought with, loved, trusted, fed, hid and died for Museveni. They look back about 23 years ago since the war ended, during which they continued to support him as they patiently waited for him to recognise their contribution and pay back. The first thing Museveni did when he got to power was to relocate 30,000 pastoralists from Luweero to Nyabushozi where he built for them a first class school, Kanyaryeru School, staffed with carefully selected teachers, where the diet includes eggs, bread and milk, paid for by the State.



Next, he grabbed land from owners in the infamous “ranch restructuring scheme” and resettled only his kith on it. Baganda hear of the 20-year-old State House scholarship scheme whose beneficiaries list is a State secret, although we all know that it is heavily dominated by kith, kin and cronies. They watch as key State institutions are staffed with executives belonging to the same ethnic group.



Baganda were prepared to live with the old adage that charity begins at home (never mind that this “beginning” has lasted 23 years and shows no sign of moving beyond home).



Yet President Museveni has not only hinted on ominous plans for Buganda but has been provocative. During the re-instatement of the Kabaka, Museveni said that Obote was foolish to have abolished kingdoms using the gun when there are many smarter ways he could have used.



Immediately after the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution, he expressed dissatisfaction with the land ownership provisions, making specific reference to the Mailo land, found only in Buganda.



In 1997, he wrote to Prime Minister Cosmas Adyebo, instructing him to find land in Kampala for investors and that if the land tenure system was a problem, they “should urgently consider amending the constitution….”. Ten years down the line, he has not found a credible investor. Clearly, from the onset of his rule, Museveni has been gunning for Buganda land.



There were never “landless” people in Buganda since everybody owned land either as a title or Kibanja holder, and the Kibanja holder was always able to legally bequeath, buy, sell or use his/her piece for any purpose of his/her choice, including building houses, burying their dead and using it as security in many instances.



But the 1998 Land Act created a class of land owners never known in Buganda before – the bona fide occupants- whose claim on land was based on the fact that he/she had settled on it for over 12 years without the consent of the titleholder, no matter how they came to settle on the land.



In October 2004, in a speech supporting President Mugabe, Museveni said “….. I don’t agree with those who condemn President Mugabe…...in Uganda we have the same problem of land created by the British…..” - clearly in reference to the land tenure system in Buganda.

Pray, given that everybody indigenous in Buganda had land, and given that there is a free and dynamic land market, what problem did the British colonialists cause that Museveni wishes to address not in Ankole, but in Buganda?



Baganda are annoyed by the double standards. When Banyoro wanted Baganda and Bakiga off their land, a fund was created to facilitate their wish.

When the Acholi say hands-off Acholi land, Museveni backs off, when the Bagungu order Balaalo out of Buliisa, government complies.



But when Baganda express an opinion, Museveni warns them against tribalism, accuses them of disrespect, writes a rude, threatening letter to the Kabaka while he is donating chunks of Buganda’s 9,000 sq mls, whose ownership and location, I hasten to add, are not contentious, to dubious investors.



Baganda are right to be suspicious of Museveni because he cannot be trusted. They are determined to oppose him to the last Muganda and they welcome comrades in this struggle, because today it is Buganda, tomorrow it will be your land, Museveni is on the loose!



The writer is MP for Rubaga Northfrom monitor

IAM WITH YOU OMUBEJJA

Shouldn’t any landowner enjoy the right to exclude trespassers or squatters from his or her land?



How does this proposed reform balance the rights of legitimate landowners against the cost of expelling present and future trespassers or squatters.



Realistically landownership is not a basic right especially in a lauded free-market economy like Uganda. This is only another grab by those who graze and roam freely on the communal lands whence they come from yet prefer to comfortably squat and grab Buganda land.

This is a master piece of a document from Betty Kamya showing the real thief Museveni and his mischief.

M7 stay warned war will ensue if you try to grab BUGANDA land.

We have no option but to resist your Tutsi Domination in BUGANDA. Buganda will throw out your Balaalo back to Rwanda including yourself!

Twabakoowa !!!

Iam sorry,but the saying give ceaser what belong to ceaser,is amyth .The wold is about servival for the fittest,the issue of land will never be solved,wards can shall be exchanged .because Buganda is anfortunate given its strategic location,this is by nature always if u are beautiful men will eye u and u may end up tying several notes .History will tell.my contributoin is not back by historical facts but u my take time and reserch.bse some tribes are zeroing,scattered bs of other groups are strugling to shsre what beiong to them

Ms. Betty Kamya Wrote;

QUOTE:
Most people opposed to the Land Act Amendment Bill do not know a word of it. All they have is gut-feeling that Museveni’s motives are suspect, because they know that he is a tribalist who cannot be trusted.



When Museveni led Baganda to the bush to fight, they submitted to him, trusting that he was the Messiah sent to deliver them from president Obote.



Baganda reminisce with bitterness the war during which they fought with, loved, trusted, fed, hid and died for Museveni.

I agree with almost everything this lady says, but I have a few points of information here. It might be true that most people opposed to the land act don't know much about it, but it's not a mere gut-feeling they are working with. People have lived under the rule of M7 for twenty something years, and are quite familiar with his ways. Many people have suffered in the past more than ten years with ruthless outlaws backed by the system who've been claimimg to have bought their lands and chasing them off it. Mostly targeted have been orphans, the sick, the old, the widows, expatriates and others, many of whom have even been locked up in prisons, their lives threatened for fighting for their stolen rights. With that, you don't need to know any new drafts. As for being a tribalist, I don't think M7 ever hid it, his Mustard Seed is all about that from first page to end. But then again, people from Ankole and Bukiga are the most tribalists in the country.



Another point, M7 never LED THE BAGANDA TO the bush. They met there and joined forces. The Baganda didn't submit to him, they trusted him, but as a fellow human being who they thought cared like they did for the well being of our country.



AND NEVER DID ANY ONE THINK OF HIM AS A MESSIAH SENT TO DELIVER THEM FROM ANYONE OR ANYWHERE. The Messiah is one, and there will be no other.



More over, our fallen heroes who fought by his side, were freedom fighters. They definately did not die for him!!!! But for freedom, which is a Godly cause. M7 betrayed them and this cause.