650 Mpigi households face eviction

What you need to know:

  • In April, at least 40,000 residents in 12 villages in the neigbouring Kalungu District were also issued with an eviction order by their landlord.

More than 650 households in Ndiirabweru and Lujja-Kinaakukka villages in Kituntu Sub-county, Mpigi District, have expressed fears of being evicted following plans to open boundaries of about 160 acres of land on which they are occupying.
The land in question is comprised of Block 320 Mawokota, Plot 730 Migamba Parish in Kituntu Sub-county.
It is owned by Prince David Namugala Mawanda Chwa, the heir of the late Prince Mawanda, who was Kabaka Ronald Mutebi’s uncle.

During a meeting at Ndiirabweru Village last week, Mr Richard Sewannonda, Prince Namugala’s lawyer, said he was under instructions to establish the actual number of residents occupying the land.
“My client instructed me to convene this meeting with intent to open boundaries of the land to establish the number of people settling on it and how they came to live on the land so that they can live in harmony with the landlord as the law requires,” Mr Sewannonda said.
He said whereas the law recognises sitting tenants, it also protects interests of landlords.

However, the tenants described the plan to open the boundaries as a ploy to evict them from their bibanja (plots) and consequently deprive them of their livelihood.
“We expect the royal family in Buganda to lead by example and protect interests of sitting tenants, but we have instead suffered at the hands of their agents in other areas where they own land,” Mr William Kanakulya, the chairperson of Migamba Parish, said.
Mr Kanakulya said there were other royal family members who also claim ownership of the same land, adding that it was difficult to know the rightful owners.

Mr Godfrey Nalima, a councillor representing Kituntu, vowed to fight any attempts by Prince Namugala to take over control of the disputed land.
Ms Rose Byabasaija, the Resident District Commissioner, who attended the meeting, rejected the plan, calling for more consultations.
“Why do you hurry? There are a number of issues which must be addressed before we get to that step,” she said.
According to Ms Byabasaija, sitting tenants should co-exist with their landlord with each party meeting their obligations as stated in the Land Act.

“The district security committee would not allow landlords to carry out any activity on any land occupied by sitting tenants without visiting the land physically and holding meetings with the occupants,” she said.
In April, at least 40,000 residents in 12 villages in the neighbouring Kalungu District were also issued with an eviction order by their landlord.
The residents insist the disputed land measuring 5 square miles in Bukulula Sub-county is their ancestral land and have nowhere to go.

Land act
Parliament passed the Land Amendment Act 2010, which government said was to protect tenants from illegal evictions. The law allows tenants to either pay annual nominal ground rent (busuulu) fixed by the minister or by their district land boards. However, Buganda Kingdom opposed the legislation, saying a new law was uncalled for since there were already existing laws which government had failed to enforce.