Bukomansimbi residents tell Nandala rampant land grabbing top among concerns

BUKOMANSIMBI - Land grabbing emerged as a key concern as presidential candidate James Nathan Nandala Mafabi campaigned across central Buganda.

As a result, the voters urged Mafabi, who is  Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket holder, to prioritise land protection if elected president.

Campaigning across the districts of Mpigi and Butambala on December 20, 2025, Nandala told supporters that land safety would be a key pillar of his administration, arguing that insecurity of land ownership has become one of the biggest sources of poverty, conflict and displacement in the region.

“We cannot talk about development when people are sleeping with one eye open, fearing eviction. My government will focus on land safety, protect lawful owners and end the culture of grabbing land using power and connections.” Nandala said during rallies in Mpigi and Butambala.

His remarks resonated in Bukomansimbi, where residents said land disputes and forced evictions had become widespread, often involving what they described as powerful individuals with links to the state.

Supporters said many families had lost gardens, homes and livelihoods, leaving them landless and vulnerable. They urged Nandala to begin his presidency by dismantling networks behind land grabbing.

“Once you are voted in, start with land,” Hajji Musa Kato, a resident of Bukomansimbi, said. 

“Here, people lose land overnight. Someone shows up with soldiers or Police and claims ownership. Poor people have nowhere to run. We want a president who protects us, not the grabbers.”

Nandala’s central Buganda tour began in Mpigi, where he held rallies in Nabiyewanga and Kayabwe. Before addressing residents, FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo mobilised supporters and rallied them behind the party’s leadership in the region, urging unity ahead of the January polls.

At the rallies, residents raised concerns about persistent land grabbing, corruption in land offices and the slow handling of land disputes in courts. In response, Nandala pledged to fight corruption, strengthen land governance institutions and support small businesses through seed capital to reduce economic vulnerability.

“All stolen land will be returned to its rightful owners. No Ugandan should become a refugee on their own land,” Nandala said.

From Mpigi, the FDC presidential candidate proceeded to Butambala, where he repeated his pledge to prioritise land safety, saying central Buganda had suffered disproportionately from fraudulent land transactions and politically backed evictions.
Come out and vote

In both districts, he urged supporters to turn out in large numbers on polling day but cautioned them to remain peaceful. His remarks came amid heightened debate following a recent Electoral Commission directive warning presidential candidates against encouraging supporters to remain at polling stations after voting, citing risks of disorder and violence.

While Nandala acknowledged the Commission’s concerns, he argued that voters had a right to remain vigilant to protect their votes, provided they did so lawfully and peacefully.

“Our people must be alert but disciplined. We shall not allow violence, but we shall also not surrender our democratic rights,” he said.