Buganda MPs ask Mengo to review 49-year lease

Discussed. Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga (2nd right) interacts with MPs at the kingdom headquarters in Bulange Mengo after their meeting yesterday. PHOTO BY JAMES KABENGWA

What you need to know:

  • Suggestion. The MPs, reechoing the views of the public, say the kingdom should issue 99-year leases.

KAMPALA.

The Buganda Parliamentary Caucus has asked Buganda Kingdom to reconsider a recent directive by Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi to Buganda Land Board (BLB) for the issuance of land titles to all his subjects occupying his land with a lease period of 49 years.

The MPs instead proposed that a 99-year lease period be granted on Kabaka’s land under Buganda’s new initiative dubbed Kyapa mu Ngalo (a land title at your hands), a period they considered long enough for Kabaka’s subjects to legitimise their tenancy, instead of the suggested 49 years.

Announcing the undertaking recently, Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga said the land titles would be valid for a period of 49 years, but renewable at the expiry of that period.

The MPs’ proposal was part of wide range of issues raised in a meeting between the Buganda MPs’ caucus and Mr Mayiga who was flanked by his deputies and members of his cabinet.

The proposal to review the lease years was officially presented by Ms Cissy Namujju, the Woman Member of Parliament for Lwengo District, on behalf of the visiting group, who resounded the public’s fears that the suggested period of 49 years is too short if the exercise is to yield the desired fruits.

The Katikkiro did not give a direct response to the MPs’ concern although he had earlier in his opening remarks explained that the method of renewal for the leases would be automatic at the expiry of the 49 years.

“Renewal is automatic for as long as one fulfils the lease conditions. Most of us may have died and the issue of renewal will be handled by our children. We must maintain a lease system to maintain ownership of the kingdom land,” Mr Mayiga said.

He stressed that in some instances, they will reward commercial developers who will have invested more than $10 million.
Mr Mayiga assured the legislators that the massive lease offer is aimed at creating conclusive evidence of land ownership that will foster development through enabling the masses to access credit facilities as well as get rid of the rampant land conflicts.

He said despite criticism, public response has been good and ‘so far, we have registered about 500 requests for the leases.’
The caucus, according to its chair, Mr Muyanja Ssenyonga, had visited Mengo to get first-hand information on the ongoing ‘Kyapa ku Meeza’ promotion and the controversies surrounding the Buganda Land Board among others.

“We also want to know the development priorities (for Mengo) so that we incorporate them in the national budget as well as seek views of the kingdom on the proposals to form new town councils,” Mr Muyanja said.

Mr Ssenyonga described the meeting as very useful and it was resolved that such meetings would be held on a regular basis to exchange views and get a similar line of transmitting messages affecting the kingdom.