__________________

Members of Parliament have asked the lands minister to brief Parliament on the controversy surrounding the 123 acres of scouting ground at Kaazi in Wakiso district.

This was after MP Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu (Kalungu West, NUP) raised concerns over the land. Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Ssewungu intimated that land grabbers were targeting open spaces and taking them from the rightful owners.

“The Kabaka of Buganda, Ssekabaka Mutesa II offered Ugandans a piece of land to practice scouting at Kaazi worth 123 acres. As we talk now, this land has been stolen and at a reasonable time, I will come to your office and bring a substantive appointment,” Ssewungu hinted.

“And scouting and girl guiding is one of the areas where we tune children into good discipline. But land is stolen in connivance with the Ministry of Land and Education ministry. Someone at Uganda Land Commission is giving out land and perennial thieves are taking land,” he said.

Supplementing on the matter, Hanifa Nabukeera (Mukono District Woman MP, NUP) said: “At the moment, the lease for that land expired so they are under renewal for lease. That land was taken back to Buganda Land Board at the moment. I am also a lawyer for part of that land, so they are not taking it… So, we are negotiating to give them part of the land and part of the land be taken back to the Kabaka of Buganda,” Nabukeera clarified.

Indeed, industry state minister David Bahati, a former chairperson of the Uganda Scouts Board, laid credence to Nabukeera’s narrative.

“We can get the proper facts and then inform the House properly in writing on Tuesday. We can give you the facts and inform the house with real facts of that land. Because not all that we hear is on the ground,” Bahati said.

Ruling on the matter, Tayebwa vowed to dissect the matter at length during a closed-door meeting scheduled for next week.

“On Tuesday, I will have a meeting with people who I will invite and Hon. Ssewungu and Hon. Hanifa will be part of them. I would say we stop it at this,” he ruled.