Museveni summons NRM MPs over controversial land bill

President Yoweri Museveni has summoned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus for a meeting over the proposed land amendment law, which has of late caused quite a stir, among the public.

According to Bukhooli Central MP, Solomon Silwany, who is the vice chairperson of the NRM parliamentary caucus, the lawmakers will meet Museveni, the party's chairman, today at State House, Entebbe.

"The meeting will start at midday, and the main agenda, is Article 26 of the Constitution, which concerns land rights," Silwany said.

Citing unnecessary delays in the implementation of government infrastructural projects emanating from compensation disputes, government tabled the constitutional land amendment to strengthen Article 26 and pave way for faster land acquisition for public infrastructure. 

The land acquisition amendment, government officials argue, seeks to give government leeway to use the land gazetted for public infrastructure development after depositing compensation money agreed by the chief government valuer to court pending determination by court of any dispute relating to compensation. 

Currently, once the owner of the land rejects the government compensation or challenges it in court, work on the government projects on such land are paralysed pending court ruling.

The other way out is for government to redesign the infrastructure project so that it doesn't affect the land that the owner has refused to cede to government over compensation disputes. 

But the proposed amendment has courted controversy, with opinion leaders calling for caution. This week, the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, said the discussions between government and land owners should be frank. 

"We have cultural land that we think is important to the kingdom and the people. It is therefore appropriate to discuss honestly with the owners," he said.