By Frederick Kiwanuka
The Uganda Land Commission has intervened in a six-month land dispute in which the UPDF has been claiming part of Bukalasa Agricultural College land in Luweero.
The land body advised the army to keep off the land.
In a letter addressed to the college principal, the land Commission rules that the disputed land remains under the agricultural college.
The letter which personally addressed to the Bukalasa College principal Christine Anyait, is copied to the UPDF Chieftaincy of production and welfare, the permanent secretary Ministry of defence, the secretary Uganda land commission and the principal land officer, Uganda land commission.
The UPDF has since June last year been claiming ownership of plot 367,Block 146 Bulemeezi, located at Bukalasa Agricultural college ,claiming to have bought it from the Uganda land commission.
At the climax of the wrangle in June, one Brig. J.Musajjawaza who claimed to be representing the army wrote a letter asking all squatters to vacate. Later in September, the UPDF applied to the Uganda Land Commission for a title deed over the disputed land, which the commission never granted.
The UPDF move however sparked off protests from the college administrators and Luweero District local leaders who contend that the college needs the land for future expansion. In the arbitration letter, the Uganda land commission chairman, Mayanja-Nkangi, states that the UPDF was neither allocated, nor sold the disputed land as the army claims.
“As long as I can make out, the commission has no record of having sold the above plot of land to the UPDF as Brig. J.Musajjawaza claimed. I would also like to confirm that the above plot 367 has never been allocated to the UPDF and therefore remains under the use of the college,” Mayanja said.
