Teso MPs threaten to sue govt
Feb 05, 2008
MEMBERS of Parliament from Teso region have vowed to mobilise fellow MPs and the public to seek redress in the constitutional court if the Land Bill is passed as a law.
By Mary Karugaba
MEMBERS of Parliament from Teso region have vowed to mobilise fellow MPs and the public to seek redress in the constitutional court if the Land Bill is passed as a law.
The Teso Parliamentary Group said the Bill does not address any shortcomings on the land law, especially those under the customary tenure.
The group chairman, Patrick Amuriat, said the Government should develop a land policy as a precursor to drafting an exclusive law on land.
“The MPs will take action to defeat plans aimed at depriving any person from the region of their land,†Amuriat said.
“This will entail taking civil action should this Bill be passed in Parliament. It is going to be a battle, but we are ready for it.â€
MPs from Acholi, Busoga, Lango and Karamoja have vowed to reject the Bill. They called for a comprehensive land policy. The Government said the objective of the Bill was to criminalise illegal evictions of bona fide occupants by landlords.
In a press statement, the MPs argued that the proposed amendment in Section 32 (b) was ambiguous and repugnant to the people of Teso and would harm the existing mechanisms of resolving conflicts arising from disputes on land owned under customary law.
MEMBERS of Parliament from Teso region have vowed to mobilise fellow MPs and the public to seek redress in the constitutional court if the Land Bill is passed as a law.
The Teso Parliamentary Group said the Bill does not address any shortcomings on the land law, especially those under the customary tenure.
The group chairman, Patrick Amuriat, said the Government should develop a land policy as a precursor to drafting an exclusive law on land.
“The MPs will take action to defeat plans aimed at depriving any person from the region of their land,†Amuriat said.
“This will entail taking civil action should this Bill be passed in Parliament. It is going to be a battle, but we are ready for it.â€
MPs from Acholi, Busoga, Lango and Karamoja have vowed to reject the Bill. They called for a comprehensive land policy. The Government said the objective of the Bill was to criminalise illegal evictions of bona fide occupants by landlords.
In a press statement, the MPs argued that the proposed amendment in Section 32 (b) was ambiguous and repugnant to the people of Teso and would harm the existing mechanisms of resolving conflicts arising from disputes on land owned under customary law.