LAND | TITLES | NABBANJA

BUNYANGABU - The Government has given out 4,454 free mailo land titles to vulnerable families and institutions in Bunyangabu district. The move is aimed at protecting them from illegal eviction.

The titles were handed over to over 4,000 families and 50 institutions by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on Saturday (March 4, 2023) at Kibiito Secondary School playground. 

The beneficiaries graduated from being occupants on mailo land, formerly comprised in Bunyangabu Block 44, Plot 20 measuring 3,155 acres, to now registered landowners.

This land originally belonged to the private estate of Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo, who was the Omukama of Toro and later to Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, the administrator of the estate of the late Kaboyo. 

The Government paid Kemigisa and transferred the land to Uganda Land Commission (ULC) on February 19, 2009.

The beneficiaries graduated from being occupants on mailo land, formerly comprised in Bunyangabu Block 44, Plot 20 measuring 3,155 acres, to now registered landowners.

Another parcel on Block 32, Plot 1 belonging to Mustaq Abdulah Bhegani, was also paid for by the Government using the Land Fund and transferred into the names of ULC on May, 2, 2011.

The number of beneficiaries comprising of institutional land is 92. These include schools, health centres, markets, parks, faith-based institutions, forests, wetlands and road reserves. 

Nabbanja said the Government achieved this by resolving the issue of multiple rights on the same piece of land.

She implored the people of Bunyangabu to address the issue of multiple rights on land, saying it is the beginning of fighting poverty and food insecurity, among other limitations to development.

Nabbanja added that resolving that issue will lead to sustainable development, improved land management and security of tenure in both the rural and urban areas.

She said the 2021 National Resistance Movement (NRM) party election manifesto promised to protect land owners countrywide by issuing them with a government document (certificate of ownership) as part of reassuring them that no one can take their land from them.

Nabbanja added that resolving that issue will lead to sustainable development, improved land management and security of tenure in both the rural and urban areas.

In line with PDM

“Indeed, this programme under the Land Fund goes hand in hand with the Parish Development Model (PDM) and should motivate you to use your land productively, especially since you have fertile soils and adequate rainfall," she told the beneficiaries.

Nabbanja also urged them that the 'Kibalo' (mathematics) should be to grow improved and fast-maturing cash crops so as to join the money economy as promised by the NRM government in the National Development Programme III.

The Premier also cautioned government officials against mishandling PDM funds, saying the Government is now freeing land from disputes due to multiple rights. 

She asked the leaders to facilitate the new land owners using PDM funds to get out of subsistence economy.

“This programme under the Land Fund will continue until we address all these land conflicts in the country. For those that have received titles today, there should be no land fragmentation as guided by the President. You should only share what comes out of the land but not subdivide the land,” she said.

She added that the Government will continue to inject money into the Land Fund as promised in the NRM manifesto.

Exercise key NRM manifesto

In her remarks, lands minister Judith Nabakooba said the exercise is a key NRM election manifesto programme which will help sort out land disputes arising from multiple interests on the one piece of land.

The Premier also cautioned government officials against mishandling PDM funds, saying the Government is now freeing land from disputes due to multiple rights. 

She added that the NRM government has brought in the PDM and under its first pillar, which talks about production, storage, value addition and marketing, the new landlords are expected to use their land to fight poverty through commercial agriculture since it is free of disputes.

“I, therefore, congratulate all of you who are going to receive your titles today upon graduating from occupancy to land title holders," she said.

Over 334,400 acres acquired

Nabakooba explained that for the entire Toro sub-region, the Government, through the Land Fund, has acquired a total of 30,370 acres equivalent to 48 square miles.

“In total, the Government has used the Land Fund to acquire 334,458 acres equivalent to 523 square miles of land across the entire country as part of government strategy to stop illegal land evictions,” she said.