By Witness Radio team
As illegal land evictions escalate in Uganda, land speculators and grabbers with the help of District Land Boards, continue to target and grab land for the less privileged communities.
Section 60 (2c) of the Land Act CAP 22 states that the District Land Board is mandated to manage all public lands in the district, and it has powers to sell, lease, or otherwise deal with the land held by it, among others.
Witness Radio has documented scenarios where District Land Boards give away communities’ land they have lived on for decades without providing alternative settlements.
In Kiboga district, Flavia Kizito, a Senior Secretary to the District Land Board, irregularly issued three leases on land belonging to a family of the late Edirisa Kyakulagira in 2018 and 2019.
In yet another shocking news, there’s a looming forced eviction on land belonging to over 3000 residents in three villages, Kalagala Parish, Malongo sub-county in Lwengo district whose livelihood has been entirely dependent on their land.
The subsistence farming communities have lived on the public land undisturbed for decades until February 2022, when different groups started targeting and claiming land ownership.
Local farmers accuse land speculators and brokers that have compromised with some of their peers to work for them and grab their land measuring 153 acres in Kawule, Kasagazi, and Lugologolo villages.
“We have been on this land for so long, and we are wondering how those people acquired its title. We heard rumors that the so-called Bamwesigye and Mwebesa are behind selling us, but we have nowhere to go. We are ready to defend it.” Said Kosi Joseph, the Lugologolo Chairman and one of the affected persons.
He added that he has lived on his land for over 32 years.
Residents learned of a looming eviction on WhatsApp Message sent to one of the area’s Councilor Herbert Ssekabira by an unknown person, reading that “the land on which the villages sit belongs to them.”
“Mr. Ssekabira, upon receiving the sad news, informed the community and prompted them to seek assistance from our leaders to stop the land grab. The WhatsApp message said the land was bought in 2014 and later acquired a leasehold in 2022.” Mr. Kosi further added.
Kittatta Ibrahim, the Lwengo district Local Council Five (5) chairperson, informed the community that investigations surrounding the acquisition of their land had commenced immediately. He added that they intend to lodge a caveat on the said land.
