Museveni, Kabaka meet at Nakasero State Lodge

President Museveni on Tuesday met with Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II at Nakasero State Lodge in Kampala. 

Mr Museveni, after the meeting tweeted saying “We discussed matters of mutual interest.”

"I thank His Majesty the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II for the courtesy call," Mr Museveni added.

The Kabaka was accompanied by the Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga and Prince David Wasajja.

Sources said they discussed several issues, including the proposed land amendment.

“This afternoon, the Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II visited the Nakasero state lodge where he met the president. As you may be aware, leaders always have some things to talk about and indeed if there any issues the leaders talk about them and it yields to something,” Mr Mayiga told BBS TV after the meeting.

The meeting comes after a proposed government Bill seeking reforms in the Mailo land tenure system sparked a storm as Buganda opposes any move aimed at tampering with it.

Recently, the government announced that it is coming up with new land reforms, including scrapping Mailo land, which they say will protect interests of both landlords and bibanja holders (tenants) and also save them from arbitrary evictions. The system is common in Buganda.

Nakaseke, Luweero and Nakasongola districts continue to register a high number of cases involving mass land evictions over failure by the different parties to honour the land transaction guidelines under the amended Land Act 2010.

In Nakasongola, where more than 80 per cent of the land is under the mailo system, a section of the landlords claim that the government’s planned interventions seem to be bent on trying to cushion the unresolved and unfair sections of the land act that deny them the right to benefit from their land.

Mr Solomon Mpagi, who owns about 1.5 square miles of land in Nabisweera Sub-county, said the government is to blame for the continued wrangles between the landlords and tenants since efforts to have the land fund rolled out in the district have failed.

Disappointed with compensation

“Some of the landlords, including myself, are willing to enter into negotiations with the government, but many  that were approached by the Uganda Land Commission for compensation have never been cleared. They have spent more than seven years waiting for compensation. Many have decided to abandon the deal and have repossessed their land,” he said.

During Heroes’ Day celebrations at Kololo Independence Grounds on June 9, President Museveni described Mailo land as “an evil land system.”

The Uganda Land Commission also recommended that the system be scrapped.

A source at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development last month said the law will guarantee safety of bibanja holders and tenants and shield them from incessant evictions.

Mr Samuel Ssebalamu, a landlord at Kakooge Sub-county in Nakasongola, claims not all landlords are extremists and are against their respective tenants enjoying their rights.

Mr Moses Ssendagire, a tenant on land at Mayirikiti Village in Nakasongola Sub-county, blames the landlords for attempting to undermine the amended Land Act (2010) without seeking a review of its sections through the right channels.

“Our landlords believe that the tenants have no rights on their respective bibanja (plots),” he said.

Recently, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba discovered that in some parts of Nakasongola, more than 100 households are on the verge of being evicted after their respective landlords allegedly fenced off large chunks of land, denying them the right to use their respective bibanja.

The district leaders, including the minister, noted that some landlords were not fully compensated under the land fund and have decided to repossess their respective land after years of waiting for the land fund balances from the government.

Section 32 (a) introduced into the Land Act in 2010 states: “Lawful or bona fide occupants to be evicted only for non-payment of ground rent”.

Also, Section 32(1a) reads that: “A tenant by occupancy who purports to assign the tenancy by occupancy without giving the first option of taking the assignment of the tenancy to the owner of the land commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ninety six currency points or imprisonment not exceeding four years or both, and the transaction shall be invalid and the tenant shall forfeit the right over the land and the land shall revert to the registered owner.” Accordingly, the government will start with the amendment of the Land Act.

In Mbale City, Mr Majid Hussein, a resident of Moni, said the system applies better in Buganda, adding that in Mbale, as long as one has paid the property owner and made an agreement, they take over the land.

Mr Moses Muyanja, a resident of Senior Quarters, described the reforms as ‘robbery’  of their land since it vests more powers in the hands of landlords.

Ms Resty Namutosi, a resident of Nkokonjeru,  said the law will leave many people homeless if landlords have  more powers. However, Mr Jimmy Mubiru, also a resident of Nkokonjeru, is optimistic that if people had money for the land titles, they would be safe; but unfortunately, few people can afford them.

In Namutumba District, Mr Paul Mwamike, a landlord in Bugobi Town Council, urged government to revise the law, especially in regards to landlords who evict tenants at their wish.

 “If we go on like that, it means landlords will be making losses because tenants will not pay [rent],” he said.

Mr Richard Waiswa, another landlord in Budongo Village, Central Ward Namutumba Town Council,  advised government to come up with a fixed amount that tenants should pay countrywide to save landlords from making losses.

Mr Paul Mikel, a tenant in Kangulumo ‘A’ Village, Namutumba Town Council, said the law will save them from inconsiderate landlords. Mr Ben Waigolo, a resident of Itoko Village, North Ward, also in Namutumba Town Council, said the law has come at a time when landlords have allegedly been charging “unfair” rent fees, and should address [especially] landlords who charge in dollars.

In Soroti City, Ms Anna Grace Alia, a landlord in Soroti Town, said before tenants take occupancy, she has a tenancy agreement which is binding between her and them [customers].

Ms Alia added that by the time she evicts a tenant, she will have exhausted all other avenues within the law.

“It is not [my intention] to treat people badly, besides most landlords were once tenants,” she said.

Why wrangles won’t leave

Ms Alia said issues surrounding mailo land and other related occurrences exist because some people want to grab property.

“We can implement as many land laws as we may wish, but if we don’t have honest people, all that will go to waste,” she said.

In western Uganda, the Tooro Kingdom prime minister, Mr Banard Tungwako, warned government against tampering with mailo land, but ensure all Ugandans get their titles to reduce evictions.

“Many people have no land title or certificate of ownership that is why there are many conflicts. Some of the land titles we demand from government are under mailo system,” he said.

Mr Vincent Mugisha, a landlord in Kyenjojo District, advised government to implement the existing law before making amendments.

“The law should clearly define who landlords are and ensure they live harmoniously with bibanja holders. What is not clear is what percentage of ownership the landlord has over his land, the landlord should have more power than the kibanja owner,” he said.