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Govt unveils plan to regulate land
A garden that was destroyed on a contentious piece of land in Lusanja, Kasangati Town Council in Wakiso District on October 29,2018. Government has unveiled proposals of new regulations and laws on ownership and management of land. PHOTO/KELVIN ATUHAIRE.
What you need to know:
- The minister of lands attributed the land issues in Buganda to the 1900 agreement with the British.
Government has unveiled proposals of new regulations and laws on ownership and management of land, especially in Buganda region that put the burden on purchasers to ensure the land they are buying has no encumbrances.
In a January 29 statement, Minister of Lands Beti Kamya said the strengthening of the laws is intended to protect bibanja holders (tenants) and bonafide occupants from arbitrary evictions.
This comes after President Museveni attributed his recent election defeat in Buganda to land grabbing and corruption.
Mr Museveni, while meeting National Resistance Movement (NRM) party parliamentary caucus last week, said he would not tolerate land grabbing and corruption in his next term in office, which starts in May and ends in 2026.
Land grabbing incidents are high in Buganda, which Ms Kamya attributes to the 1900 Buganda Agreement with the British colonialists which she said created dual ownership of land by both landlords and tenants.
Ms Kamya said government will create a register at the sub-counties with the list of landlords and their respective tenants to aid judicial officers to use it before determining land cases in courts.
“It will be mandatory for any buyer to search the sub-county register and acquire a letter on the status of occupancies,” Ms Kamya said.
The government will also establish district mediation committees that shall handle land disputes before they are sent to court.
In the proposed changes, government will provide assistance to tenants and landlords to ascertain the actual size of their land and administrators.
“The government will facilitate the process of updating the registry with current landlords or administrators. It will formulate guidelines on enhancing security of tenants by occupancy and provide legal aid services at sub-county level to assist landlords obtain letters of administration,” she said.
The government intends to roll out the process of implementing the options on mailo land under the National Land Policy which include leasing, land sharing, land buyout and issuance of certificates of occupancy.
Buganda Kingdom reacts
Buganda Kingdom spokesman Noah Kiyimba welcomed the new government proposals on land, but said even without them there are enough laws to deal with the existing wrangles.
“The weakness in Uganda has been enforcement of the land laws and corruption in the law enforcement agencies and Judiciary,” Mr Kiyimba said.
He said it will also be better to sensitise the bibanja holders and landlords to know their obligations.
