'Idle land whets appetite of land grabbers'

Sep 30, 2019

A salient land grab trick is to slash idle land as a warning shot.

LAND MATTERS

KAMPALA - Idle land whets the appetite of land grabbers, the acting commissioner land registration has warned. 

Robert Opio disclosed that a salient land grab trick is to slash idle land as a warning shot. 

On Monday, Opio told the Presidential  Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters that grabbers fancy their chances of taking land after monitoring and confirming that it is unutilised.   

"There are fraudsters who look out for land that is idle. Non-use is a problem. As long as they (genuine owners) do not use the land, they attract such grabbers. The fraudsters will come, slash the land and tell you that the land has been sold," he said. 

He made remarks at the National  Archives and Records Centre in the city suburb of Nakasero, during a public hearing. 

Opio's response was prompted by the advice of inquiry commissioner Frederick Ruhindi, who said the national lands registry office must notify people with leases nearing expiry of their situation to enable them prepare adequately. 

The acting lands registration  commissioner had been summoned to shed light on the dispute between two aristocratic Buganda families over a nine-acre lakeshore strip in the upscale city suburb of Munyonyo. 

The families are Alistairiko Sekaggya Nsibirwa Kiwana (died 1973) and Dr. Solomon Byatike-Matovu (died June 2, 1964). 

Kiwana was the father of former Finance  Minister Maria Nabasirye Kiwana Kiwanuka. He was chief executive officer of National Housing Corporation.  

He was the son of iconic Buganda  educationist, philanthropist and two-time Katikkiro Martin Luther Nsibirwa (assassinated in 1945). 

Byatike-Matovu was a prominent medical doctor and a close associate of the Kabaka and Mengo. 

Kiwana stake

Records show that Kiwana purchased the property on May 1, 1968 from Ambrose Wafubwa, who bought from Sekabaka Daudi Chwa's son Prince Alfred Kigala. 

The land is now managed by the  family holding company Alimar Limited, whose business is real estate development.  The other shareholders are widow  Margaret Kiwana, and daughters Maria, Janet Nkabidwa Collyer Kiwana, Babirye Nakasi Kiwana, and Esther Nabwami Kiwana, and Nakato Kiwana. 

Byatike-Matovu estate claims  it bought from Sekabaka Daudi's son Prince Alfred Kigala on July 31, 1959 but that by the time he (Byatike-Matovu) died, transfer into his name had not been effected. 

Nakato testified on September 17, saying unlike Byatike-Matovu's daughter Dr Irene Lubega, who cannot back her claim, the Kiwana family has 51-year proof of ownership. 

"The information I have about how our father got the land is the land title. Therefore, I cannot give any other information that I do not have," said Nakato. 

Commission fact file 

On December 8, 2016, President  Yoweri Museveni appointed a seven-member commission of inquiry chaired by Court of Appeal Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, to inquire into land matters.  

This was prompted by several  documented instances of public outcry.

The team took oath on February 19, 2017, with mandate to inquire into the effectiveness of law, policies and processes of land acquisition, land administration, land management and land registration.  

Subsequently, public hearings  commenced on May 9, 2017 at National Archives and Records Centre in the city suburb of Nakasero. 

On November 10, 2017, the President  extended the probe's mandate for  six months. Last year on May 4, 2018, Museveni endorsed an 18-month extension of the probe. 

The probe commissioners are  Frederick Ruhindi, Dr Rose Nakayi, Mary Ochan, Robert Ssebunnya, Joyce Habaasa, and George Bagonza. Deputy lead counsel is John  Bosco Suuza, while Andrew Odiit is assistant lead counsel. Dr Douglas Singiza is commission secretary, while Daniel Rutiba is deputy secretary.


(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});