By Witness Radio Team
As Uganda heads to the polls on January 15, President Yoweri Museveni warned land grabbers in Kayunga District against illegally evicting tenants, stressing that such actions are unlawful and will be met with resistance by his government.
The President made the remarks during a campaign rally at the Busaana Town Council grounds, following years of persistent land disputes in the district, primarily linked to conflicts between landlords and tenants, which have affected many families and communities.
For those who have been following land-related developments in Kayunga, this was not the first time Museveni has addressed or intervened in land matters in Kayunga. In 2013, Museveni visited Kayunga District twice within one month in an attempt to find a permanent solution to land wrangles in the area. Many other visits have followed, but the problem continues to escalate, worrying residents.
For more than a decade, Kayunga district in Central Uganda has been a hotspot for illegal land evictions. More than 50,000 people have suffered from land evictions that have resulted in violence and loss of lives.
These are orchestrated by purported landlords, bigshots, government entities, and investors who seek to acquire, or already acquire, land occupied by tenants and landlords, forcing people off their land. These disputes have often escalated into violence, leaving families displaced and livelihoods disrupted.
Among these cases are: the famous Karangwa land wrangle, which caused suffering of over 2000 people in Kinamawanga and Kayonza villages, National Forestry Authority evictions of more than 8,000 tenants from Bajjo Central Forest Reserve in Galilaaya Sub-county, Kayunga District, a long-standing land dispute between residents of Bukerere village in Kayonza Sub-County and an Indian investor, Mr Chary Neekamika, among others. As a result, many families have been forcibly removed from their land, disrupting livelihoods and fueling prolonged conflicts.
Despite repeated interventions by government ministries and officials, the evictions have continued, leaving affected communities in a cycle of uncertainty and suffering.
During a visit to one of the contested areas in 2024, the State Minister for Lands, Dr. Sam Mayanja, sharply criticized the NFA, one of those that have been mentioned in Kayunga evictions, describing it as “a number one enemy of the government and President Museveni” for allegedly destroying rural livelihoods through violent evictions and converting forest land into sugar plantations under the guise of environmental protection. His remarks followed the eviction of thousands of residents in Galilaaya who claimed to have occupied the land for many years.
Land disputes remain a significant challenge across Uganda, driven by complex land tenure systems, powerful land grabbers, weak enforcement of land laws, corruption within land administration offices, and widespread ignorance of land rights.
To address these escalating concerns, Museveni, while addressing supporters during his campaign for a seventh term at the Busaana Town Council grounds in Kayunga district, reiterated that evicting sitting tenants or Kibanja holders is illegal and protected by law, including specific legal protections that tenants can invoke to defend their rights.
“You have no right to evict sitting tenants or a Kibanja holder from their land,” Museveni said, warning against individuals who mislead the public into believing that forced evictions are lawful.
Museveni tasked the leaders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) with sensitizing communities on land laws and helping resolve disputes peacefully, aiming to build
trust and confidence in lawful land management.
This, he said, “could empower them to protect their land and resolve disputes peacefully, noting that land grabbing continues largely because many citizens are unaware of the protections provided under the law.
The President also warned residents against buying land that is already occupied by tenants, describing such transactions as deceptive and a significant source of conflict. “Selling land with tenants without resolving tenancy issues is like selling hot air,” he said.
Museveni further revealed that the government has compensated some landlords to protect tenants and reduce conflicts, and will continue efforts to ensure the security of lawful occupants through lawful land transactions as an alternative to stop evictions.
