Connect with us

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Govt resurrects emotive Land Acquisition Bill.

Published

3 years ago

on

photo credit: Daily Monitor

President Museveni and then Lands State Minister Aidah Nantaba in Kayunga in June 2021 where the President had gone to mediate a land dispute. The government is set to reintroduce the compulsory Land Acquisition Bill. 

The government is set to reintroduce the controversial Land Acquisition Bill that, among others, seeks to enable compulsory land acquisition for strategic government development projects.
The Bill is among the 62 proposed legislations presented by President Museveni during the State-of-the-Nation Address on Tuesday that are to be introduced by government to the 11th Parliament during its second session that started on June 7.

According to the Ministry of Lands, the object of the draft Bill is to allow the government to acquire land for timely implementation of public works and end years of prolonged acquisition processes that have in the past cost the country billions of shillings and hindered essential projects.
The idea of the government to take over even privately owned land for public works dates back to 2017, and has often raised a raging debate across the political divide that remains unsettled.
 READ: Mailo land tenure debate sparks storm

Govt reclaims Naguru estate land for own use

Buganda premier Charles Peter Mayiga vowed to oppose the new proposed land law that seeks to provide for compulsory acquisition of land for government development projects, warning that it is a ploy to grab people’s land.
“As Buganda Kingdom, we shall not allow any law on land that seeks to grab land from Kabaka’s subjects and undermine Kabaka’s authority over land. They [government] should stop provoking us,”Mr Mayiga told the Lukiiko (Buganda parliament).

The property law
Article 26(2) of the Constitution stipulates that: “No person shall be compulsorily deprived of property or any interest in right over property of any description except where taking possession is necessary for public use and, or, is made under the law after prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation.”
However, in 2017, the government tabled the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017 that sought, among other things,  to amend Article 26 of the Constitution to allow government “compulsory acquisition” of private land for national projects and deposit in court the compensation money it deems appropriate regardless of whether the owner consents to it or not.

In the same year, President Museveni, conducted a countrywide radio tour to face the people with the aim of softening the public to embrace the proposed amendments.
Many, however, remained unyielding.  At the time, most of the Cabinet ministers as well as NRM legislators remained silent on the matter.
But the attempts to amend Article 26, which safeguards private land until adequate and timely compensation is made, were rejected by the 10th Parliament, and the government retreated to re-strategise.

Mr Dennis Obbo, the spokesperson at the Ministry of Lands, yesterday told Daily Monitor that the draft document is with the Ministry of Justice for drafting of a new Bill, after consultations with stakeholders, across the country.
Without delving into the details of the new amendments to the proposed law, Mr Obbo said some changes have been made to ensure the processes are within the confines of the Supreme Law.
“It is important we do not delay capital investments, which has been the case. Government in the past has lost $27m (Shs101b) per year in servicing debts because of such acquisition delays. We have looked at a win-win situation, listen to the owner of the land but also make sure government does not lose out,” Mr Obbo said.
The new Bill will maintain the deposit of compensation money on an escrow account in case a land owner has reservations about the amount they are offered.

The compensation rates will be determined by government valuer, according to the Valuation Bill, 2022, another attendant legislation that seeks to harmonise the acquisition process.
The Land Acquisition Bill also established a tribunal, headed by a High Court Judge to handle any disputes. Such a complaint must be heard and decided on within 30 days, and an appeal in 45 days.
In case Parliament approves the controversial amendments, Mr Obbo reiterated that land owners will be given a notice, allowed six months to vacate the land in question, and the government will only take over the land after compensation, or settlement in case of disputes.

Other inclusions
The draft Bill, according to sources in the Attorney General’s chambers, will also provide for resettlement and relocation packages as opposed to compensation.
The government will also table the Land Act Amendment Bill, 2022 that seeks to address land issues including the rampant eviction of bibanja holders and reorganise the current land tenure systems.

A sub-committee of the Cabinet chaired by Deputy Prime minister, Gen Moses Ali, is currently studying the report by the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire Commission to inform major amendments to streamline the land business.
The Gen Ali committee is reported to be under strict instructions to come up with “incontrovertible amendments” that are needed to stop rampant illegal evictions in the country.
Government will also reintroduce the Health Insurance Bill that elapsed with the 10th Parliament. The legislation  seeks to provide universal healthcare to all Ugandans.

Bills govt will present for legislation in 2022/2023 

1. The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act (Amendment) Bill 2022
2. The Social Impact Assessment and Accountability Bill
3. Uganda National Kiswahili Council Bill
4. The Employment (Amendment) Bill
5. The Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Bill
6. The Workers Compensation (Amend) Bill
7. Labour Unions (Amendment) Bill
8. The Culture and Creative Bill
9. The Veterinary Practitioners Bill
10. Animal Diseases Amendment Bill
11. Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

12. The Insolvency (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
13. The Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2022.
14. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill
15. Amendment of Atomic Energy Act,2008
16. Building Substances Bill,2022
17. The National Health Insurance Scheme Bill,2019
18. The Food and Drug Authority Bill,2017
19. Health Professional Council’s Authority Bill,2016
20. The Museums and Monuments Bill 2022
21. The Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium (Amendment) Bill.
22. Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (Amendment) Bill

23. The National Teachers’ Bill.
24. The Physical Activity and Sports Bill
25. The Local Government (Amend) Bill
26. The Uganda Communication (Amendment) Bill
27. National Information Technology (Amendment)Bill
28. Engineers Registration (Amend) Bill.
29. Uganda Railways Corporation (Amendment) Bill
30. Land Acquisition Bill,2022
31. Valuation Bill,2022
32. Real Estates Bill,2022
33. Land Act (Amendment) Bill,2022

34. Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill
35. Small Arms and Light Weapons Control Bill
36. The Explosives Bill.
37. Transitional Justice Bill
38. Microfinance Deposit Taking Institutions (Amendment) Bill,2020
39. Annual Macroeconomic and Fiscal Performance Report FY 2021/2022
40. National Budget Framework Paper for FY 2023/2024
41. Semi – Annual Budget Performance Report FY 2022/2023.
42. Semi – Annual Macroeconomic and Fiscal Performance Report FY2022/2023

43. Annual Budget Estimates FY 2023/2024
44. The Appropriation Bill FY 2023/2024
45. Treasury Memoranda FY 2023/2024
46. Corrigenda FY 2023/24
47. Income Tax (Amendment)Bill,2023
48. Excise Duty(Amendment)Bill,2023
49. The Value Added Tax (Amend) Bill, 2023
50. The Stamps Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2023
51. Traffic and Road Safety (Amendment)Bill, 2023
52. Lotteries and Gaming(Amendment)Bill,2023
53. The Tax Procedures Code (Amendment) Bill 2023
54. Tax Appeals Tribunal(Amendment)Bill,2023
55. The Finance (Amendment) Bill, 2023
56. Budget Speech for FY 2023/2024.

57.The Supplementary Appropriation Bill FY 2022/2023
58. The Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill
59. Competition Bill
60. Consumer Protection Bill
61. Legal Metrology Bill
62. Industrial and Scientific Metrology Bill

Source: Daily Monitor

Related posts:

Land Bill: From Being a Custodian To an Owner? Government softens on compulsory land acquisition A Nullity? Ugandans Query Constitutional Land Amendment Bill Here Is Why The Land Amendment Bill Must Be Rejected Defying Mass Voices: Museveni Assents To The “Agelimit Bill”.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Seed Boot Camp: A struggle to conserve local and indigenous seeds from extinction.

Published

2 days ago

on

October 29, 2025

By

By Witness Radio team

Seed sovereignty, a concept that advocates for farmers’ rights to save, use, exchange, and sell their own seeds, is at the heart of the Seed Savers Network’s (SSN) mission.

Based in Kenya, SSN is holding an intensive learning and peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing exercise among farmers across Africa. The goal is to develop strategies to restore traditional seeds and ensure food and seed sovereignty.

SSN is also targeting academia, policymakers, and researchers to champion and promote the conservation of local and indigenous seeds.

According to SSN, this is the third boot camp in a row, a testament to the growing unity among farmers from different parts of Africa who come together to learn from one another about how traditional knowledge is used to conserve traditional seeds. So far, the camp has attracted farmers from more than 30 African countries, showcasing the power of collective action in the fight for seed conservation.

This year’s boot camp has been enriched by the participation of farmers from the Informal Alliance, who lost their land to land-based investments in Uganda. Their presence not only underscores the power of collective action but also highlights the resilience and determination of these farmers in the face of adversity, inspiring others to join the effort to conserve local seeds.

The boot camp idea stems from a research study conducted by the Seed Savers Network in some counties in Kenya, which found that over 50 seed varieties were at risk of extinction.

Tabby Munyiri, the Communication and Advocacy Officer at SSN, said the mission is to ensure that other players are on board to join farmers in conserving agro-biodiversity by strengthening community food systems to improve seed access and enhance food sovereignty.

“SSN is working with over 120,000 farmers across Kenya, and they have already built community seed banks, which makes us the largest community seed banks in Africa,” Said Tabby.

She added that seed banks are repositories where communities conserve local and indigenous seeds. She revealed that the world is currently witnessing a significant loss of agrobiodiversity, with many crop and animal species on the verge of extinction due to factors such as climate change, industrial agriculture, and urbanization.

The boot camp will run for two weeks. 

Related posts:

Smallholder farmers weeding their crops.
The EAC Seed and Plant Varieties Bill 2025 targets organic seeds, aiming to replace them with modified seeds, say smallholder farmers. African governments are giving in to corporate pressure and undermining local seed systems – report The EAC Seed & Plant Varieties Bill, 2025, is a potential threat to smallholder farmers, as it aims to disengage them from the agriculture business, according to experts. CSOs and Smallholder farmers are urgently convening to scrutinize the EAC Seed & Plant Varieties Bill, 2025. Africa moves to conserve animal genetic resources
Continue Reading

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

Land Grabbing “matter of growing concern” in Uganda, Catholic Archbishop Laments, Appeals for Intervention

Published

3 days ago

on

October 28, 2025

By

Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere of Uganda’s Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala has decried the rising cases of land grabbing in the East African nation, describing the situation as “a matter of growing concern” that even threatens Church property.

Speaking during celebrations marking the Centenary of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Rubaga, on Sunday, October 26, Archbishop Ssemogerere appealed to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who graced the occasion, to take concrete action to curb the increasing cases of illegal land acquisition.

“Your Excellency, we wish to humbly draw your attention to a matter of growing concern in our country, the problem of land grabbing,” he said.

Archbishop Ssemogerere lamented that land grabbers have targeted land legally allocated to the Church for pastoral and social development purposes.

“There are those landgrabbers who don’t fear the wealth of God,” he said referring to Church land given “by generous people, or allowed by the government for the Church to use, land given to us by the Kingdom of Buganda.”

He warned that such actions have far-reaching consequences, noting that some of the affected properties have long served communities through schools, health facilities, and development projects.

“This challenge affects not only Church land but also property belonging to other institutions and private citizens,” he said, and added, “In some cases, land that has served communities for generations is being encroached on or taken illegally.”

The Local Ordinary of Kampala Archdiocese since his installation in January 2022 appealed to President Museveni-led government to take decisive action against land grabbers, stressing that protecting land rights safeguards not only property but also vital services that institutions provide to Ugandans.

“We therefore appeal to your continued leadership and intervention so that this issue can be addressed firmly and justly,” he told President Museveni.

Referring to Galatians 6:9, the Ugandan-born Catholic Church leader encouraged the country’s national leaders to persevere in promoting justice and the common good.

“As Scripture reminds us, let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap if we do not give up,” he said.

In his October 26 remarks, Archbishop Ssemogerere, who began his Episcopal Ministry in August 2008 as Bishop of Uganda’s Kasana-Luweero Catholic Diocese emphasized the need to safeguard peace as the country approaches its next general election in January 2026.

He emphasized that politics should be a platform for service and that “elections should never divide us but rather strengthen our commitment to justice, respect, and unity.”

Archbishop Ssemogerere added, “Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is the fruit of justice, truth, and mutual respect.”

Citing Pope Francis’ November 2013 Apostolic Exhortation on on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world, Evangelii Gaudium, he reminded politicians and religious leaders in the East African nation that leadership is a vocation of service.

“Politics, though often degraded, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good,” he said

Reflecting on the St. Mary’s Rubaga Cathedral’s 100-year history, the Ugandan Catholic Archbishop described it as a “symbol of faith, endurance, and God’s abiding presence among His people.”

He noted that the Cathedral has stood “through colonial times, independence, and social change” as a beacon of evangelization and unity.

“This sacred place has stood as a witness to Uganda’s journey of faith, from the first seeds planted by the early missionaries to the flourishing Catholic community, we see today,” he said, and continued, “Through it all, God has been faithful.”

Archbishop Ssemogerere further noted that the Cathedral “has been a refuge for prayer, a cradle of vocations, and a beacon of evangelization.”

“May it continue to inspire holiness, unity, and love for God and country,” said Archbishop Ssemogerere in his remarks during the October 26 centenary celebration.

Source: aciafrica.org

Related posts:

Archbishop Kazimba Condemns Land Grabbing, Urges Govt to Act Youths from around the world are urgently convening to engage in crucial discussions about land and climate solutions, a matter of pressing concern ahead of COP30, set to take place in Brazil. MPs, Catholic Church want govt to implement national land policy Church of Uganda’s call to end land grabbing is timely and re-enforces earlier calls to investigate quack investors and their agents fueling the problem. Church denies grabbing Ntinda school land
Continue Reading

MEDIA FOR CHANGE NETWORK

REC25 & EXPO Ends with a call on Uganda to balance conservation and livelihood

Published

3 days ago

on

October 28, 2025

By

By: Witness Radio team

The week of 20th September 2025, Uganda hosted the Renewable Energy Conference 2025 to discuss and advance the clean energy agenda. Its purpose this time was to foster collaboration among the government, the private sector, and development partners to transform energy systems. Still, the development partners are calling on the government of Uganda to balance conservation and livelihoods.

The Renewable Energy Conference (REC) 2025, which focused on clean cooking to meet the national target of 50% access by 2030, provided an opportunity for representatives of the German and European Union embassies to underscore the importance of balancing environmental conservation and livelihoods.

The German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Matthias Schauer, stated that “transforming systems for livelihoods and conservation” are essential elements in the renewable energy sector.

“The theme, Transforming Energy Systems for Livelihoods and Conservation, I consider these two elements to be essential: livelihoods and conservation. Without energy, it is tough to establish livelihoods, but without conservation, you will be destroying them again sooner or later. They need to be well-balanced.” Matthias Schauer stated

He says, “At the same time, they strengthened local capacity, promoted innovative financing mechanisms to expand access to clean energy. Our partnership reflects a shared vision, unlocking Uganda’s potential, and that potential is huge. Fostering inclusive growth and ensuring that the benefits of energy transformation reach all communities, including remote and refugee hosting areas.” Matthias Schauer said.

He said that Germany’s goal is to advance access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and clean energy for all, in line with Sustainable Development Goal No. 7, while fostering local ownership.

The European Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Jan Sadek, on the other hand, emphasized that “the moment has come to move from dialogue to action. We are confident that Uganda will continue to lead by example, and Team Europe is ready to contribute to turning the insights from this conference into tangible impacts.” This urgent call to action should resonate with all stakeholders, highlighting the pressing need for change.

Jan also stated that, “The time for coordinated and accelerated investment in solutions to phase out the unsustainable use of firewood and charcoal is now. Together, we have a real opportunity to make a significant difference, and the EU is committed to contributing its part.” This commitment from the EU should reassure all stakeholders about the support they can expect.

While the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa Sentamu, stated that this year’s energy conference discussion has deepened their collaboration and collective understanding of what it truly means to transform energy systems from a livelihoods and conservation perspective.

As the Transition journey continues, Nankabirwa expressed confidence that through the performance reviews of the Ministry’s sustainable energy and extractive development programs, they have collectively assessed progress made under Development Plan 3 and have identified clear pathways for accelerated implementation of National Development Plan 4.

Related posts:

As Uganda awaits the Energy Efficiency and Conservation law, plans to develop a five-year plan are underway. New! The Eyes on a Just Energy Transition in Africa Program is now live on Witness Radio. Oil activities in Murchison Falls National Park threaten Wildlife Conservation – AFIEGO study reveals. UNCCD COP16: NGOs issue a stark warning and call for urgent actions to deal with the escalating threats of desertification, land degradation, and drought. Europe issues sh46b loan to expand Uganda’s solar coverage
Continue Reading

Resource Center

Legal Framework

READ BY CATEGORY

Facebook

Newsletter

Subscribe to Witness Radio's newsletter



Trending

Subscribe to Witness Radio's newsletter