Mengo asks govt to clear rent arrears worth Shs215b
Mr David Mpanga, Mengo’s special duties minister.
What you need to know:
Some of the institutions still operating on the kingdom land include the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Judiciary, the Internal Affairs ministry, Prisons, 80 learning institutions, 78 health centres, 26 security agencies, and the Local Government headquarters, according to Mr Mpanga
Buganda Kingdom has asked government to pay Shs215.8b it owes the institution in rent.
The request was made during the Lukiiko (Buganda Kingdom parliament) sitting, chaired by speaker Luwagga Mugumbule on Monday.
“By last year, rent arrears from the central government stood at Shs215.8b. The central government still operates on some of the land which was returned to the Buganda Kingdom in 2013 and they had to pay rent. Unfortunately, some institutions have failed to pay rent and the debt keeps on increasing,” Mr David Mpanga, Mengo’s special duties minister, said.
Some of the institutions still operating on the kingdom land include the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Judiciary, the Internal Affairs ministry, Prisons, 80 learning institutions, 78 health centres, 26 security agencies, and the Local Government headquarters, according to Mr Mpanga.
He also decried the bid by central government to cause amendments to do away with mailo land system.
Mr Mpanga said Buganda Kingdom owns 950 square miles of land and that is five percent of the total land in Uganda. He said the land is governed by Buganda Kingdom and has helped the institution to undertake different development activities.
On Kyapa Mungalo, Mpanga said as of last year, 21,000 lease land tittles were released by Buganda Land Board, more than 71,000 residents were surveyed in the mass exercise, which is still going on, and more than 315,000 bibanja owners have been registered and issued their tenure letters.
“We don’t evict anyone from the 950 square miles of land and all the squatters are settled peacefully,” Mr Mpanga said as he called on governement to drop the idea of scrapping mailo land.
“Several amendments have failed because the central government does not involve the stakeholders while having consultation,” he said.
When contacted on Tuesday, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka said: “Although, I am aware about the memorandum of understanding between the President and the Kabaka, I am not aware of the Shs215b rent arrears.”
Background
President Museveni and Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, have had several meetings regarding the full return of Buganda Kingdom property (ebyaffe) by the central government.
These are the properties that the government grabbed from the kingdom following the 1966 Kabaka crisis.
During the 32nd Heroes’ Day anniversary at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala last year, Mr Museveni called the Mailo Land tenure system ‘’an evil system’’.
“Land owners should be entitled to full ownership of their land like elsewhere in Uganda,” Mr Museveni said.
However, during his 28th coronation anniversary at Nkoni Palace in Masaka City last year, Kabaka (king) Ronald Muwenda Mutebi said the Mailo land tenure was a “pillar” and its abolition would cripple the kingdom.
“Those who are doing this [pushing for the scrapping of Mailo land], want to weaken Buganda. Such things bring us discomfort and prompt us to ask why land in other parts of Uganda is not talked about,” the Kabaka said.
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