Bunyoro absentee owners may lose land

Feb 27, 2007

A COMMISSION of inquiry into the Bunyoro land clashes in 2005 has recommended that the Government takes over land belonging to absentee landlords.

By Carol Natukunda

A COMMISSION of inquiry into the Bunyoro land clashes in 2005 has recommended that the Government takes over land belonging to absentee landlords.

Absentee landlords, referring to people who do not occupy their land but rent it out or leave it vacant, were imposed on the Banyoro land holders in 1900 by the British.

The commission, appointed in September 2005 following ethnic and land conflicts in Hoima, Kibaale and Masindi districts, handed over its report to President Yoweri Museveni on Monday.

“Due to the animosity between the landlords and the customary holders, the absentee landlords are never likely to put this land to any good use at anyone time in future. The commission therefore recommends that Government takes over land belonging to the absentee landlords and pays them compensation,” the commission, chaired by Prof. Ruth Mukama, says.

According to the findings, a total of 3,636 Bunyoro absentee landlords might not be willing to hand over their land titles. In that case, the report proposes that the Government acquires the land in the public interest.

The commission further questions why a number of unclaimed land titles, belonging to absentee landlords, were lying in the land office in Fort Portal.

“We recommend that the above titles be immediately handed over to Kibaale Land Board which should advertise them so that the owners appear and show cause why they should not be reallocated. After determining the status of the land, the Land Board would then go ahead and allocate the said pieces of land to the sitting land lords,” the report said.

On political conflicts between the Banyoro and the non-Banyoro, the commission suggested the establishment of a Kingdom government in Hoima with an elected katikkiro (prime minister) and representatives of all ethnic groups to take away mutual suspicion.

On migration, the commission recommended that Ugandans and foreigners, who settled in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom before 1982, should have their stay legalised.

“Aliens who came after 1982 should either be deported or be allowed to continue staying in the country as refugees in the camps of Kyangwali and Kiryandongo.

“Ugandans who settled after 1982 without authority of proof of ownership of the land on which they are settled must either be asked to leave and go back to their places of origin or be resettled on Government land as a matter of responsibility,” the report states.

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