Museveni warns locals on land fragmentation

President Museveni has cautioned Ugandans against land fragmentation, saying it is increasing rural poverty, food insecurity and conflicts.

According to the President, sustainable development can only take place when there is maximum productivity from land through commercial agriculture. 

His remarks were contained in his speech read by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja as she handed over 4,454 freehold land titles to residents of Bunyangabu District at the weekend.

Mr Museveni said the free land titles are part of government efforts to protect landowners and stop land evictions.

“The programme under the Uganda Land Fund will continue until we address land conflicts in the country,” he said.

“And for those who have received land titles today, there should be no land fragmentation as I have always guided, you should only share what comes out of land but not subdivide your land anyhow,” he added in his speech.  

Mr Museveni warned government officials against mishandling Parish Development Model funds.
“This programme under Uganda Land Fund goes hand in hand with Parish Development Model and this should motivate you to use your land productively since you have fertile soils and rains, grow improved and first maturing cash crops so as to join the cash economy,” he added. The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, said the titles are meant to promote land tenure security.

“Of the 4,454 land titles we have given out, 92 titles belong to institutions such as schools, and markets; the people who have got their titles can now use them such that they can get out of poverty,” she said.

The acting secretary of the Uganda Land Commission, Mr Andrew Nyumba, said the titles given out consisted of land on Block 44 Plot 2 located in Kibiito and Block 32 Plot 1 located in Nyakigumba, both measuring 5.2 square miles.

Block 44 originally belonged to former Tooro King Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo whose administrator has been Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa while that on Block 32 Plot 1 belonged to Mustaq Abdulah Bhegani.
The duo was fully paid by the government under the land fund.

Mr Sylvester Nyakairu, a resident of Kabonero Sub-county, said he will now use the title as collateral security in a bank to acquire a loan.

The Bunyangabu District chairperson, Mr James Ategeka, said there are other people who are still living on land as squatters in Ruboona, Buheesi, Kiyombya and Rwetuha, urging the government to consider them under the land fund.

Background 
In the entire Tooro Sub-region, Ms Nabakooba explained that the government through the land fund has acquired a total of 30,370 acres, equivalent to 48 square miles.

The beneficiaries of institutional land are 92, and they include schools, health centres, markets, parks, faith-based institutions, forests, wetlands and road reserves. The females comprise 999, accounting for 22.4 percent to the total beneficiaries while the males comprise 3,143.