Nabisunsa retains disputed land
What you need to know:
- The Uganda Land Commission (ULC) had earlier claimed that the land belongs to the government
Government has confirmed Nabisunsa Girls’ School as the rightful owner of the disputed Plot 562 at Banda, a Kampala suburb, following a boundary opening exercise last week.
The Uganda Land Commission (ULC) had earlier claimed that the land belongs to the government.
“We have perused all available records in my ministry and established beyond reasonable doubt that this piece of land belongs to Nabisunsa Girls’ School. I am here on the instructions of both President Museveni and the Minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni, to reaffirm that the land is for the school and whoever has interest in it should back off,” Lands minister Judith Nabakooba said yesterday.
Ms Nabakooba made the remarks while meeting the school’s management and board of governors.
The 2.7 acres of land houses the school demonstration farm.
Ms Nabakooba clarified that her ministry had no plan to allocate the land to anybody as some sections of the media had earlier reported.
“I am also under instruction to ensure that the overlapping title on the land is cancelled to enable management utilise its land as they wish,” she added.
Mr Juma Walusimbi , the chairperson board of governors at Nabisunsa, lauded Ms Nabakooba for resolving the dispute, saying it had created unnecessary tension between the school management and ULC.
“We are happy that the minister has reaffirmed what we have been saying that the land is ours .It could have been a betrayal if her decision was in favour of those who wanted to grab the school land,” he said.
Mr Walusimbi said they plan to redevelop the land by establishing a feeder school and a modern demonstration farm.
Records show that Nabusunsa, which started in 1954 initially had 10 acres which was donated by Prince Badru Kakungulu on its inception. This land (10 acres) had been given to Prince Kalungulu by the colonial government in exchange for another land at Nakawa (currently housing Uganda Revenue Authority headquarters).
Background
ULC had claimed that the school encroached on government land and possessed two freehold land titles, which was irregular. In an August 23 letter to the commissioner of Land Registration, the ULC chairperson, Ms Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki, had asked the former to cancel the land title for Plot 562, arguing that it was irregularly transferred to the names of board of governors of Nabisunsa, and wanted the disputed land reverted to government, a move the school protested.
