Encroachers grab government ranch land

Encroachers have taken over 15 square miles of government land in Ruhengyere, Nshaara and Sanga ranches in Kiruhura District.

The State Minister for Animal Husbandry, Ms Joy Kabatsi, and the National Animal Genetics Resources Centre & Data Bank (NAGRC & DB) executive director, Dr Charles Lagu, made the revelation while assessing the level of encroachment at ranches on Friday.

Ruhengyere covers 21 square miles, Nshaara covers 27 while Sanga covers 2.5 square miles.
Dr Lagu said two square miles of Nshaara have been taken, Ruhengyere has lost 12 while Sanga ranch has lost one.

Claims
“These people (encroachers) are very arrogant and do not want to be told that the lands they are occupying is not theirs, some try to claim that they were given the lands under the presidential directives but they have no proof to that effect,” Dr Lagu said.

“As NAGRC&DB, the custodian of this property, we are going to evict every encroacher,” he added.

Dr Lagu also said encroachers have exploited the shortage of manpower in the ranches to grab the land, adding that it was affecting breeding and conservation activities.

Ms Kabatsi said they already have a budget to re-demarcate the ranches, fence them and construct roads around them.
“We are going to fence off every piece of our land, enclose each ranch with a major road around; whoever is enclosed in will have to leave or bring us proof of ownership,” she said.

According to the Auditor General’s report for the financial year that ended on June 2014, 10 land titles had not been secured and, therefore, registered in the names of NAGRC & DB.

The centre was established by an Act of Parliament, the Animal Breeding Act, 2001.
It is mandated to take a leading role in establishing a comprehensive national animal breeding programme in Uganda.

OTHER RANCHES
NAGRC & DB manages 15 land properties/ranches across the country in Kiruhura, Mbarara, Apac, Kabarole, Kayunga, Kamuli, Pader, Buikwe, Bulambuli, Entebbe, Singo and Kibaale.