Districts to set up new land boards
Jan 14, 2010
THE Ministry of Lands has directed local governments to put in place land boards for the implementation of the Land Amendment Act. District land boards are responsible for determining the annual nominal ground rent payable by tenants to landlords.
By Joyce Namutebi
THE Ministry of Lands has directed local governments to put in place land boards for the implementation of the Land Amendment Act. District land boards are responsible for determining the annual nominal ground rent payable by tenants to landlords.
The ministry spokesperson, Dennis Obbo, said yesterday that some districts do not have land boards while others had expired ones. He said only 55 districts had functional land boards.
President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Land Amendment Bill a week ago, turning it into a law.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at his country home in Rwakitura, Museveni said he was happy with the ammended law because it would protect people from illegal evictions.
The law provides for district land boards to determine the annual nominal ground rent payable by tenants, within a period of six months from the date of assent.
Failure to do so, the lands minister is allowed to take charge. Obbo named Pader, Maracha–Terego and Bukedea as districts which do not have land boards.
He said land boards for Mpigi, Kaberamaido, Kumi, Mubende, Busia, Kisoro, Kibale, Mbarara, Soroti, Arua, Kitgum, Bushenyi, Masaka, Rakai, Kabale, Gulu, Masindi and Kiboga districts had expired.
Mukono district has not had one since March 2009, while those for Iganga and Kasese districts were about to expire.
Obbo said they had written to the local governments warning them against noncompliance.
Starting February, the ministry is going to train the district land boards and area land committees on how to determine the ground rent, Obbo said.
“We are going to give them guidance. They must be able to determine ground rent before June this year.â€
“Any district which will not have a board in place will be assumed as having failed and the minister will intervene,†he added.
The new law makes illegal evictions a criminal offence, attracting a prison sentence of seven years. It also gives the tenants the first option of buying in case the landlord wants to sell his land.
Similarly, tenants must give the landlord the first option of buying back the land in case they want to sell.
THE Ministry of Lands has directed local governments to put in place land boards for the implementation of the Land Amendment Act. District land boards are responsible for determining the annual nominal ground rent payable by tenants to landlords.
The ministry spokesperson, Dennis Obbo, said yesterday that some districts do not have land boards while others had expired ones. He said only 55 districts had functional land boards.
President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Land Amendment Bill a week ago, turning it into a law.
Speaking at the signing ceremony at his country home in Rwakitura, Museveni said he was happy with the ammended law because it would protect people from illegal evictions.
The law provides for district land boards to determine the annual nominal ground rent payable by tenants, within a period of six months from the date of assent.
Failure to do so, the lands minister is allowed to take charge. Obbo named Pader, Maracha–Terego and Bukedea as districts which do not have land boards.
He said land boards for Mpigi, Kaberamaido, Kumi, Mubende, Busia, Kisoro, Kibale, Mbarara, Soroti, Arua, Kitgum, Bushenyi, Masaka, Rakai, Kabale, Gulu, Masindi and Kiboga districts had expired.
Mukono district has not had one since March 2009, while those for Iganga and Kasese districts were about to expire.
Obbo said they had written to the local governments warning them against noncompliance.
Starting February, the ministry is going to train the district land boards and area land committees on how to determine the ground rent, Obbo said.
“We are going to give them guidance. They must be able to determine ground rent before June this year.â€
“Any district which will not have a board in place will be assumed as having failed and the minister will intervene,†he added.
The new law makes illegal evictions a criminal offence, attracting a prison sentence of seven years. It also gives the tenants the first option of buying in case the landlord wants to sell his land.
Similarly, tenants must give the landlord the first option of buying back the land in case they want to sell.