Prime
Museveni asks CJ to prevail over judges issuing eviction orders
Some family members with their property after they were evicted from a disputed land in Nebbi Municipality last month. PHOTO | PATRICK OKABA
What you need to know:
- The President also directed that evictions should not be allowed to take place without the district security officer and chaired by the resident district commissioner.
President Museveni has asked Chief Justice Alphonse Owiny-Dollo to prevail over the judges and magistrates issuing land titles indicating that they are colluding with land grabbers.
“…by a copy of this letter, I request His Lordship the Chief Justice to prevail on his Magistrates and judges from violating the Constitution by illegally evicting our people in collation with the land grabbers,” President Museveni in his February 28, 2020 letter to the Prime Minister reads in part.
Mr Jameson Karemani, the Judiciary spokesperson, said he was awaiting a decision from the Chief Justice before commenting on the subject.
“I can’t make a decision for the Chief Justice, I will wait until he sees the letter and when he pronounces himself on it, I will be able to make a comment. As it is not, I have seen the letter but the CJ has to come out about it before I say anything,” Mr Karemani said in an interview last evening.
Mr Museveni further directed the Ministry of Lands to inform the Attorney General about any abuses by judicial officers so that legal action can be taken.
Last week, the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, formed a committee of MPs to investigate the Lands minister on the Naguru land saga, which has since become a controversial matter.
Commenting about President Museveni’s directive to the Ministry of Lands, Mr Denis Obbo, the spokesperson, said: “These cases are there but what the Attorney General directed that when such cases up from the court, we respect the court order and we forward them to his office for review.”
The President also directed that evictions should not be allowed to take place in a district without the district security officer and chaired by the resident district commissioner (RDC).
“If this is not done and evictions take place, I will hold all the members of the District Security Committee, except the UPDF representative because he or she may not know the substance of the issue involved, responsible and I will take action against them,” the letter read.
