Land grabbers take over Nabagereka’s land in Wakiso

Nabagereka Development foundation (NDF), a non-profit agency founded by Buganda Kingdom Queen Sylvia Nagginda is entangled in a land row in Wakiso District where at least 90 illegal occupants have taken over its land.

The situation has forced Nabagereka, the Queen of Buganda to petition the Col Edith Nakalema-led State House Anti-Corruption UNIT (SH-ACU) which immediately launched investigations into the matter.

NDF’s land is located in Buswa Sisa and Mpuuga both in Wakiso and comprises Busiro Block 495 Plot 69 at Buswa Sisa measuring 22 acres and Busiro Block 274 Plot 225 at Mpuuga measuring 25 acres.

The head of the legal department of SH-ACU, Mr Israel Ochwo, told this publication that the foundation holds titles for the land but several people who occupy it have barred access to the foundation, frustrating NDF’s development agenda on the land.

NDF, a targets the society's most vulnerable- the children, youth and women with its themes focused at leveraging culture for development.

When SH-ACU received NDF’s complaint, Col Nakalema asked the Ministry of Land to probe the ownership of the contested land claimed by NDF and findings were affirmative in ADF’s favor, according to Mr Ochwo.

“Afterwards and in liaison with the Ministry of Lands and the Kampala Metropolitan Police, a boundary opening survey was done to confirm the extent of the foundation's land. The survey revealed that indeed the land had over 30 occupants in Sisa and over 60 at Mpuuga. However there exists certain portions of the land which were not developed,” Ochwo said.

On Wednesday, Col Nakalema held a meeting with the Nabagereka at Bulange, Mengo in Kampala and delivered the preliminary findings into the investigations. Nakalema’s delegation included the Commissioner Survey and Mapping who shared the findings with the queen.

The commissioner advised that “there was need for a detailed survey to determine how much of the land is under illegal occupation,” as he also obliged “to do this survey and give a report by January 12, 2022.”

The Deputy Commander Kampala Metropolitan Police undertook to provide security during the survey process and investigations.

“The Nabagereka foundation officials insisted that they wanted a humane approach used in dealing with the matter,” Mr Ochwo said.

 In a separate statement issued by SH-ACU, Col Nakalema vowed to conclude with seeking “further verification to ascertain who the occupants are and how they came onto the land” by January 12.

"I would like to thank Col Nakalema and her team for the progress report and all the interventions in resolving the issues of the foundation's land and I look forward to receiving the final report," Nabagereka told SH-ACU