Over 10,000 Sango Bay land titles cancelled

Over 10,000 illegally created land titles within the Sango Bay Palm Oil Project in Kakuuto sub-county, Kyotera district, have been revoked to prevent disruptions, according to lands state minister Dr Sam Mayanja. 

Mayanja said the cancellations align with President Yoweri Museveni’s directive to facilitate palm oil investment in the area. 

On March 17, the minister led a fact-finding visit, alongside officials from State House, security agencies, and the Kyotera district local government, to investigate land grabbing, illegal evictions, and related concerns. 

During a stakeholder meeting, project-affected persons (PAPs) raised issues, including delayed compensation. 

Mayanja later handed over a certified copy of the lands ministry’s title for Sango Bay land allocated to the palm oil project. 

He also presented evaluation reports and minutes to Kyotera resident district commissioner Apollo Mugume to guide him in handling complaints. “Register all complaints, verify them and take action against those spreading falsehoods while addressing genuine concerns,” Mayanja instructed.

In March 2020, Cabinet resolved to re-enter the land and allocate it to BIDCO and partners to support the palm oil plantation and refinery project. 

The Government committed 26,500 hectares for a nucleus plantation and 13,500 hectares for out-growers, totalling 40,000 hectares. 

However, at the time of Sango Bay’s repossession, only 11,500 hectares had been provided in Kalangala and Buvuma districts, along with 4,848 hectares for outgrowers. 

Mayanja explained that Sango Bay land includes central government reserves such as Malamagambo, Kaiso, Namalala and Tero, which should have been delineated and returned to the Government by the leaseholder, Sango Bay Estates Limited. 

Additionally, the land encompasses vital ecosystems and the SAMIKA Ramsar site, necessitating environmental protection alongside development. 

The Government has since undertaken boundary demarcation and revoked all illegal land titles to prevent unauthorised development. Mayanja noted that environmental zones are now properly marked on the government title. 

Compensation coming soon 

“All PAPs have been identified, evaluated and are awaiting compensation. No forceful evictions have occurred,” he said, clarifying that relocating domestic animals or preventing unauthorised developments does not constitute eviction. 

He added that the President committed to compensate over 700 PAPs, through loans from Kalangala BIDCO SACCO and other sources. 

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja confirmed that the Government has earmarked sh23b to compensate approximately 740 verified PAPs. 

After nearly 14 years of negotiations between 2006 and 2020, the Government officially reclaimed Sango Bay land through a re-entry process initiated in 2011.