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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Over 2000 residents face eviction in Mubende, blame District Land Board

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By Najibu Mulema

Land wrangles in Uganda have become the worst nightmare for many poor
Ugandans whose land is always grabbed by the few ‘privileged’
untouchable rich men and women.

Consequently, more than 2000 residents in Lwebigaji village, Busale Ward
in Mubende Municipality no longer sleep to their expectations since they
spend most of their days and nights in fear of being evicted from their
land which they have lived on for decades.

The land in question sits on 226.05 hectares (almost a mile) and is
located in Kisuna, Buwekula Block 224/plot 28.

The affected residents accuse Mubende District Land Board for being the
reason behind their misery.

According to Grace Nantubilo, Councilor Busale Ward, the District Land
Board conspired with a one Semwogerere Deo Mutyaba to grab the public
land belonging to the residents in Lwebigaji.

Nantubilo said she doesn’t find a clear explanation as to why officials
in the land board had to sell and issue a land title to Mutyaba who
doesn’t even own a plot of land in the area yet it is very clear that
before issuing a land title to any person, the District Land Board has
to first give residents on the public land an opportunity to secure a
title for themselves if they have the capability.

Residents get to know that their land was sold;
In a bid to secure a title for their land, residents through their
Communal Land Association known as Lwebigaji Citizen Group went to the
District Land Board offices but to their dismay, the board officials
told them that the title they are pushing for has already been given out
to Mutyaba on 26 November, 2015.

This new development blew off the minds of the discontented residents
because on 24 September, 2013 they had checked in with the Board and
found out their land was safe without complaints. On that very day the
board officials even gave them an Instruction of Survey (IS).

Angry residents protest, District Executive calls for a meeting;
On learning that their land had been grabbed by Mutyaba, residents
decried for rescue and in the due course a meeting which was chaired by
the Mubende LC5 Chairperson, Kibuka Francis Amooti was called for.
It was attended by the district Executive, District Land Board
officials, Technical side of land, residents and Deo Mutyaba.

In the meeting, residents accused the Land board officials and Mutyaba
over conspiracy to grab their land.

In defense, Mutyaba defended himself saying that he acquired the land
through lease way back in 1978 and that what he did in 2015 was renewing.

However, due to heated grilling, Mutyaba admitted that he just stole the
land from the National Forestry Association (NFA) which also had the
intention of grabbing the land for free.

The accused added that he did it out of a good heart since later he was
willing to sit on a round table with the residents so that they could
negotiate on the land issue.

On the other hand, the District Land Board after a through homework
founded out that Mutyaba has given them wrong information in the first
place citing that he used forged papers to blindfold the board which
prompted the officials to issue a land title to the accused at the
expense of the accused.

“In the Mutyaba’s lease papers, all the witnesses which signed on it
died long time ago before the actual dates on the papers, so how did
they sign when they were already dead?” Nantubilo inquired.

The District Land Board admitted its mistake and it called for the
cancellation of Mutyaba’s land title.
Resolution reached;

On 6 September, 2016, Board sat and through its Secretary, Emmanuel
Sempala passed a resolution to cancel the ‘fake’ land title belonging to
Deo Mutyaba as well as honoring it to the rightful owners.

On 20 September, 2016, District Land Board chaired another meeting and
the issued a letter ordering the cancellation of the land title in
question and the letter was addressed to the Commission of Land
Registration and Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Planning.

Mission unaccomplished;
When a letter ordering cancellation of the land title was passed,
residents were overwhelmed with unending hope, most of them thought
that they had at least won the battle little did they know that a letter
was ‘nothing’ to the privileged land grabber. Even up to now the
residents’ cry is not yet honored.

According to one of the dissatisfied residents, Kimazzi Experito
Kitikyamuwogo, they don’t really understand why the land title is not
yet cancelled yet as residents have passed through the necessary
procedures to make sure that they regain what rightfully belongs to them.

“We cannot afford to lose our land to just one man who just came from
nowhere to steal our land; we call upon the responsible authorities to
come for our rescue,”

Apparently, the affected residents are living in total fear thinking any
time they are going to be displaced by the so called land ‘thieves’
worst still they no longer carry out any farming activities on their
land meaning that if the issue is not addressed as soon as possible,
residents are likely to suffer from economical and social atrocities.

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DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: Witness Radio and Partners to Launch Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy Project Tomorrow.

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By Witness Radio Team.

Witness Radio, in collaboration with Dan Church Aid (DCA) and the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), is set to launch the Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project tomorrow, 22nd February 2024, at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Hoima District.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote the protection and respect for human rights, and enable access to remedy where violations occur especially in the Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments (LBIs) through improved documentation, and evidence-based advocacy.

The three-year project, which commenced in October 2023, focuses its activities in the Mid-Western sub-region, covering Bulisa, Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibale, and Mubende districts, and Karamoja sub-region, covering Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, and Karenga districts.

The project targets individuals and groups at high risk of human rights violations, including Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs). It also engages government duty bearers such as policymakers and implementers in relevant ministries and local governments, recognizing their crucial role in securing land and environmental rights. Additionally, the project involves officials from institutional duty bearers including the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Equal Opportunities Commission, and courts, among others.

Representatives from the international community, faith leaders, and business actors are also included in the project’s scope, particularly those involved in land-based investments (LBIs) impacting the environment.

The project was initially launched in Moroto for the Karamoja region on the 19th of this month with the leadership of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD).

According to the project implementors,  the action is organized into four activity packages aimed at; enhancing the capacity and skills of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) in monitoring, documentation, reporting (MDR), and protection, establishing and reinforcing reporting and documentation mechanisms for advocacy and demand for corporate and government accountability;  providing response and support to HRDs and marginalized communities; and lastly facilitating collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagements that link local and national issues to national and international frameworks and spaces.

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DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Kiryandongo leadership agree to partner with Witness Radio Uganda to end rampant forced land evictions in the district.

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By Witness Radio team.

Kiryandongo district leaders have embraced Witness Radio’s collaboration with the Kiryandongo district aimed at ending the rampant violent and illegal land evictions that have significantly harmed the livelihoods of the local communities in the area.

The warm welcome was made at the dialogue organized by Witness Radio Uganda, Uganda’s leading land and environmental rights watchdog at the Kiryandongo district headquarters, intended to reflect on the plight of land and environmental rights defenders, local and indigenous communities and the role of responsible land-based investments in protecting people and the planet.

Speaking at the high-level dialogue, that was participated in by technical officers, policy implementers, religious leaders, leaders of project affected persons (PAPs), politicians, media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and development partners that support land and environment rights as well as the Land Based Investments (LBIs) Companies in the Kiryandongo district, the leaders led by the District Local Council 5 Chairperson, Ms. Edith Aliguma Adyeri appreciated the efforts taken by Witness Radio organization to organize the dialogue meeting aimed at bringing together stakeholders to safeguard community land and environmental rights in order address the escalating vice of land grabbing in the area.

During the dialogue, participants shared harrowing accounts of the impacts of land evictions and environmental degradation, including tragic deaths, families torn asunder, young girls forced into marriage, a surge in teenage pregnancies, limited access to education, and significant environmental damage which have profoundly affected the lives of the local population in Kiryandongo.

Participants attending the dialogue.

In recent years, Kiryandongo district has been embroiled in violent land evictions orchestrated to accommodate multinational large-scale agriculture plantations and wealthy individuals leaving the poor marginalized.

According to various reports, including findings from Witness Radio’s 2020 research Land Grabs at a Gun Point, the forceful land acquisitions in Kiryandongo have significantly impacted the livelihoods of local communities. It is estimated that nearly 40,000 individuals have been displaced from their land to make room for land-based investments in the Kiryandongo district. However, leaders in the district also revealed in the dialogue that women and children are affected most.

The Kiryandongo Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Jonathan Akweteireho, emphasized that all offices within the Kiryandongo district are actively involved in addressing the prevalent land conflicts. He also extended a welcome to Witness Radio, acknowledging their collaborative efforts in tackling and resolving land and environmental issues in the district.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we all know that the land rights together with environmental rights have been violated in our district, but because we don’t know what our rights are, because we have not directly done what we could to safeguard our rights and now this is the time that Witness Radio has brought us together to safeguard our rights. I want to welcome you in Kiryandongo and be rest assured that we shall give you all the necessary support to help us manage these rampant cases,” Ms. Adyeri said in her remarks during the dialogue meeting.

The team leader at Witness Radio Uganda, Mr. Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala expressed gratitude to the participants for their active involvement in the dialogue and revealed that Witness Radio’s objective is to find a holistic solution to the escalating land disputes in Kiryandongo district serving as an example to other districts.

“We are here to assist Kiryandongo district in attaining peace and stability because it stands as a hotspot for land grabbers in Uganda. Mismanagement of land conflicts in Uganda could potentially lead to a significant internal conflict. Everywhere you turn, voices are lamenting the loss of their land and property. Kiryandongo, abundant with ranches, suffers from a lack of a structured framework, which amplifies these land conflicts. The influx of wealthy investors further complicates the situation,” Mr. Ssebaggala disclosed.

Within the dialogue, Mr. Ssebaggala emphasized the need for the Kiryandongo district council to pass a by-law aimed at curbing land evictions as an initial step in addressing the prevalent land injustices.

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Kiryandongo authorities decry rising cases of land disputes

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The LC5 chairperson of Kiryandongo, Ms Edith Aliguma Adyeri, has saidnland dispute has impacted on people’s lives, dignity and children’s education in the district.

Just like other parts of Uganda, conflicts over land in Kiryandongo arise when individuals – who often are blood relatives – compete for use of the same parcel of land or when members of the community lay claim over ownership of unutilised government land.

Ms Adyeri further said land and environmental rights affect people both directly and indirectly, “and we are not hearing it from afar. It is already together with us [here], it has already affected us!”

She was speaking at a meeting which sought to discuss alternative remedies to salvage the appalling land and environmental rights situation in Kiryandongo at the district headquarters on Thursday.

The one-day dialogue was aimed at reflecting on the plight of land and environmental rights defenders, local and indigenous communities and the role of responsible land-based investments in protecting people and the planet.

It was attended by private companies, members of civil society and local government officials and organised by Witness Radio – an advocate for land and environmental rights in Uganda – in partnership with Oxfam, and Kiryandongo District leadership.

“Some people have even died, families are broken up, and brothers are not seeing eye-to-eye because of land rights. Access to justice is equally becoming very difficult because when you hire one lawyer that
lawyer will talk to learned friends, and they agree. They leave you in suspense,” Ms Adyeri said.

According to her, some children have not accessed education because of land and environmental rights.

Mr Jonathan Akweteireho, the deputy Resident District Commissioner of Kiryandongo, said enlightened people especially should be sensitive to the historical injustice of this area.

“We can never handle the Bonyoro land question without thinking about that history. It will be an injustice to the incomers, to the government and to the leaders who don’t understand,” he said.

“We had 38 ranches here which on the guidance of these international organisations, especially the World Bank, the government restructured them, allowing people to settle there, they were never given titles and up to today, there are big problems in all those ranches,” he added.

Mr Jeff Wokulira Ssebaggala, the executive director of Witness Radio, said that a well-functional land sector supports land users or holders and investors, reduces inefficiencies and provides mechanisms to resolve land disputes.

Mr David Kyategeka, the secretary to the Kiryandongo District Land Board, said the issue of land rights is very clear but the major challenge has been sensitising the locals to know what rights he or she expects to enjoy out of this very important resource.

Source: www.monitor.co.ug

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