53 tenants risk losing land over unfulfilled lease terms

Lyatonde.

At least 53 individuals, who secured leases on Lyantonde District headquaters land risk losing their properties over failure to fulfil their lease terms.
Those affected include some district officials who acquired leases more than 10 years ago.
The tenants who acquired commercial plots of land are obliged to pay both annual nominal ground rent amounting to Shs200, 000 and premium of Shs2m, while those settled on residential plots pay Shs150, 000 and Shs1.5m as nominal ground rent and premium respectively.
However, only 13 out of the 53 tenants have paid premium, but have not been remitting nominal ground rent for the last four years.
Lyantonde District headquarters sit on 49 acres of land.
Mr Simon Kamya, the Lyantonde District senior lands officer, said they are planning to repossess their land after tenants failed to honour their lease terms despite numerous reminders.
“I have made inspections and tenants have failed to abide by the set standards,” Mr Kamya said during an interview with Daily Monitor last weekend.
“As a district, we gave them the leases to develop the plots, but not to keep the land idle. Section 102 of Registration of Titles Act gives us powers to repossess our land in case the lessee [tenant] fails to pay premium,” he added.
Last year, councillors in the distrist raised a red flag about this deal, questioning the process through which the district land was parceled out to individuals.
Led by Mr Simon Simbwa, a councillor for Lyantonde Town Council, the leaders argued that the authorities had exhibited the highest degree of selfishness by apportioning themselves land meant for projects that could benefit the public.
While meeting the tenants recently, Ms Alice Asiimwe Rushure, the Lyantonde Chief Administrative Officer, said the land was leased with a sole aim of generating revenue, which they have failed to realise.
“When they [tenants] were getting the leases, they pledged to develop the plots and failure to do so, the plots will revert to the land lord and you all know that,” she said.
Mr Matia Wasswa, who owns Plot 1574 which is not yet developed, complained that he has been paying nominal ground rent following the old rates, but the district has not been issuing them with receipts.
“Who is going to account for that money where we were not issued with receipts as they are announcing new rates?” Mr Wasswa asked.
But Mr Martin Paul Yiga, the district principal assistant secretary, explained that the receipted money collected from tenants was to process land titles and the new lease rates will only apply to those who have not obtained land tittles. Initially, tenants were paying Shs80,000 for nominal ground rent and another Shs800,000m as premium for residential plots while commercial plots owners were paying Shs100,000 (nominal ground rent) and Shs1m (premium).
Dr Obbo Okoth, the Lyantonde District health officer, who owns three plots on the district land wondered why the district is planning to repossess the land yet he fully paid for it.
“They [district officials] have been collecting money from us. We are tired because some are even conmen. One day I was issued a fake receipt,” Mr Obbo alleged.
Mr Yiga advised Dr Obbo to formalise his tenancy as this will save him from conmen.
“Dr Obbo is an illegal occupant, he is not known to us as a tenant let him formalize his tenancy ” Mr Yiga said
Daily Monitor has learnt that despite Dr Obbo being referred to as an illegal occupant, he is in the district land records as one of the people who received plots at the district headquarters and his name was submitted to Masaka District land board to be considered and issued with a tittle.