PRIME Minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi vehemently defended the proposed Land Bill yesterday, saying it was necessary to deal with the rampant eviction of tenants.
However, several MPs from both the Government and the opposition doubted whether the Bill tackled the root causes.
The Government has taken urgent measures to avoid a major war between landlords and landless peasants, the premier explained.
He told the House that a study commissioned by the Ministry of Lands showed the Government would require sh1.7 trillion for land compensations to be able to sort out the entire problem.
The land in question, he explained, comprises 6,638 square miles of Buganda, 163 square miles in Tooro,
228 square miles in Ankole, 80 square miles in Bugisu and 697 square miles in Kibale.
Nsibambi rebutted concerns that the Bill weakens the powers of the landlords.
“On the contrary, landlords will now know their tenants so that there is no influx of squatters on their land, as used to be the case under the Busuulu and Envujjo Law of 1928.”
He explained that the proposed law forbids tenants from selling their bibanja without giving the landlord the first option to buy.
“The Government intends to add an amendment making such transactions invalid, as is the case if the landlord does not give the first option to the sitting tenant.”
Contributors to the debate yesterday doubted if the Bill would solve the land problems. Some argued that
it targeted the central region, while others said they found themselves in an awkward situation given
the secret talks between the President and the Kabaka.
Peter Mutuluza (NRM) said Buganda MPs had agreed to await the outcome of the President-Kabaka talks only to be ambushed by the re-introduction of the Bill in Parliament.
However, the Government Chief Whip, Daudi Migereko, argued that the Katikkiro (prime minister) of Buganda had communicated that Mengo had no objection for the debate to ensue.
“You should feel free to discuss this Bill without inhibition and fear from any quarter,” he said.
Erasmus Magumaali (Independent) asked Migereko to table the communication from the Katikkiro. He said he had used the existing laws to combat evictions in his constituency.
Theodore Sekikubo (NRM) observed that big shots in the Government who enjoy impunity were responsible for evictions, cited his constituency, Lwemiyaga, as an example. He said by dropping the clause on customary land, the Bill was targeting only Buganda.
Betty Amongi (Independent) quoted clauses in the 1998 Land Act and the Land Amendment Act 2003 which she said safeguard the interests of tenants.
“After the 1900 agreement, the landlords and tenants existed peacefully. We did not hear about evictions in Buganda. What social order has changed?” she asked.
She noted that landlords had failed to get nominal rent because tenants were poor, wondering if the same tenants would be able to pay lawyers for court cases.
Sebuliba Mutumba (DP) outrightly opposed the Bill, arguing that it was targeted against Buganda. He said NRM MPs from Buganda were hiding because they had divided loyalties between their party and the Kabaka.
Charles Ngabirano (NRM) noted that the Land Fund was the surest way to solve the land question. His colleagues Rose Najjemba and Lastus Sserunjogi said their voters had sent them to support the Bill, while Sylvia Namabidde, also NRM, said the Bill would not provide a solution.
Akbar Godi (FDC) lamented that the Bill aimed at entrenching the tenant and landlord on the same piece of land.
Washington Anokbonggo (UPC) noted that the Bill was to some extent discriminatory against the landlords.
“It would have been good for the minister to have carried out a statistical analysis of the evictees and victors,” he pointed out.
Beatrice Anywar (FDC) said questions that needed to be answered were who was evicting whom, and in whose interest the Bill had been designed.
Alex Onzima (FDC) drew applause for being the only opposition MP declaring support for the Bill.
