Buganda Land Board, leaders clash over housing estate
Kumbu Housing Estaste in Masaka Town. PHOTO BY MOSES MUWULYA
MASAKA- Masaka Municipal Council leaders have clashed with Buganda Land Board (BLB) officials over the sale of Old Kumbu Housing Estate.
BLB claims ownership of land on which the dilapidated housing units were constructed in 1947.
The estate, which has 53 housing units, sits on plot 55-56 Old Bukoba Road and plot 98-104 Forest Road in Kimaanya/ Kyabakuza Division.
According to Mr Paul Omoko, the Masaka Municipality town clerk, shortly after unveiling the plan to redevelop the estate, they were shocked to receive communication from BLB officials in Masaka Sub-region claiming ownership of the land on which the estate sits.
“The people who bought the houses have already been availed with the plan to follow while constructing new houses, but if Baganda Kingdom claims ownership of the land, that is going to hold us back,” he said during an interview on Wednesday.
Mr Wilber Nsubuga, the BLB Masaka regional manager, insisted that the project can only take-off after resolving land ownership.
He said municipal leaders didn’t inform them about the planned redevelopment of the estate yet the land belongs to Buganda Kingdom and they own a title to it.
“We do not want to pull ropes with them (Masaka Municipal leaders). They are the ones mandated to plan for the town, but they need to consult us since we own the land,” Mr Nsubuga said in a telephone interview with the Daily Monitor.
He said the disputed land, is just a small portion of the vast acreage of land BLB owns in Masaka Town.
“I would simply request them to coordinate with us and have their work move on smoothly,” he said.
BLB is the business arm of Buganda Kingdom, which manages kingdom properties.
A couple of years ago, the board embarked on registering all tenants occupying kingdom land and so far, 130,000 bona fide tenants have registered. But some sections of the public in Buganda, especially in Kooki, Rakai District and Bugerere in Kayunga District, opposed the programme, saying it will deprive residents of their land rights.
Show proof
To solve the dispute, Masaka Municipality leaders have since tasked BLB to present land tittles and any other documents to prove ownership of the disputed land.
BLB has been given a one- month ultimatum to present proof of ownership.
Mr Kayemba Afaayo, the Masaka Town mayor, is optimistic that the impasse between them and BLB will be resolved and to allow the project to kick-off.
“If they (BLB) present proof of ownership, we will definitely have no option, but to sit with them to chart a way forward. We have always enjoyed a good working relationship with the kingdom and I don’t think this simple issue can fail to be resolved,” Mr Kayemba said during an interview on Wednesday.
Buganda property
The central government confiscated Buganda property, including land during Obote’s regime in 1966, but though the cultural institutions were restored in 1993, some properties, including county headquarters (currently occupied by districts and municipal councils), have not been returned to date. Buganda Kingdom has on several occasions accused government of occupying its properties without remitting rent arrears amounting more than Shs20 billion by early this year. Three years ago, government agreed to return all kingdom property, which is yet happen.
