Luweero school faces eviction

Parents, teachers and students of Kayindu Senior Secondary in Kalagala Sub-county, Luweero District, on Monday woke up to an eviction notice.

The eviction notice, signed by Mr Alex Kiyimba, the lawyer for Ms Catherine Navvuga, was authored on February 3 and copied to the school administrators, Luweero Resident District Commissioner and Luweero District Chairperson, among other leaders. 

It instructs the parents, teachers and students to vacate the premises and ensure that the owner of Block 10, Plot 116 land at Kayindu takes vacant possession without further inconveniences from any party.

The community secondary school that has been in existence since 1982, according to a management report read at an emergency meeting convened by the Luweero Members of Parliament and the district chairperson, Mr Erusto Kibirango, got a notice from Ms Catherine Navvuga, who allegedly owns the land title acquired in 2019.

“We got an eviction notice from the lawyers acting on behalf of the land owner. The school has used the five acre land since 1982. This land was donated by one Ssemogerere and son to the late Daudi Muzanyi, who died in 1949. We were surprised when Ms Navvuga accused the school of taking her land which she acquired from her father. We are now stranded,” Mr William Kasujja told the emergency meeting convened at the school on Monday.

Mr Kibirango said while Ms Navvuga could be possessing the land title reportedly acquired in 2019, evicting the school is not the right course of action.

“Under normal circumstances, the school is in the category of a bonafide occupant who enjoys the land ownership rights in line with the Land Act. The best solution at the moment is through negotiation,” he said.

The Luweero District Woman MP, Ms Brenda Nabukenya, wondered why a school that has been in existence for more than 30 years and offers education to more than 400 students can get an eviction notice without giving room for negotiation.

“It could be true that somebody acquired a title for this land and legally has a right of the land but the same land laws protect the bibanja holders from unlawful eviction. The law does not automatically give powers to landlords to evict the bibanja holders. We cannot sit back and watch this mess by people who undermine the land laws for selfish interests,” she said.

Mr Gerald Kiiza, a grandson of Ms Navvuga, revealed that the community and the school management had failed to negotiate with his family in a deal where the school would be given one acre of land.

“We decided to engage the lawyers because the school management had failed to negotiate with us. Our family is ready to offer the school one acre,” he said.

The Bamunanika County Member of Parliament, Mr Robert Ssekitoleko, dismissed the plan by the family to evict the school.

“You know that the direction you are taking is outside the land law. As a bonafide land occupant, Kayinndu Secondary School has equal rights on the five-acre Kibanja (untitled piece of land). It is also very clear that while the owner of the land died in 1949, the daughter only legalised and registered the land in 2019. This school has been in existence since 1982,” he said.