Over 20,000 Wakiso residents face displacement from Kabaka’s land
Feb 15, 2009
WHEN Elphaz Katende heard that the Mengo establishment was about to force him off a piece of land he has lived on all his life, he got confused.
By Chris Kiwawulo
WHEN Elphaz Katende heard that the Mengo establishment was about to force him off a piece of land he has lived on all his life, he got confused.
Katende says he is torn between fighting for his land, where his forefathers also lived, and respecting the directive from his Kabaka – Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, to whom he is very loyal.
“But why would he want to chase us away? Where should we go? Look at me.
I was born during Kabaka Chwa’s reign. At this age, where can I go?†asked Katende, who relied on guesswork to tell me that he was around 95 years old.
The trouble stems from a signpost that officials from Buganda Land Board (BLB) erected in Busabala, telling Katende and some other residents in over 500 households in Makindye-Sabagabo sub-county, Wakiso district, not to trespass on the Kabaka’s land.
Ironically, the signpost was put up without any prior communication to the residents, raising suspicion that ‘some rich man could be using the Mengo cover to grab their plots of land’.
Katende is among the over 20,000 residents of Kirinda, Buggu, Busabala and Ziranumbu villages who own plots (bibanja) on the Kabaka’s 350 square miles of land that the central government returned to Buganda Kingdom.
“Buganda Land Board. No trespass on Kabaka’s land,†one of the residents remembers, were the wordings on both sides of the signpost, placed a few metres from the gate to Kaazi scouts ground in Busabala, last month.
The panic and confusion the signpost caused forced the residents to remove it.
The signpost, the residents argued, was confusing to them as it was not clear whether it was meant to stop them from accessing their bibanja or otherwise.
Like all the other residents, Katende supported the removal of the signpost on grounds that he was bitter that his own Kabaka had masterminded his eviction without any warning.
“We cannot disobey our Kabaka. We love him so much, but we had just paid sh82,000 to KK Property Consultants hired by Mengo to acquire certificates of occupancy.
Before some of us could even acquire the certificates, people just came and erected a signpost telling us not to trespass. What is the meaning of this?†asked Wasswa Galiwango, a resident of Busabala.
The situation nearly turned violent when one of the residents, Fred Katongole, was arrested in connection with removing the signpost and the BLB officials threatened to arrest seven more residents.
The residents demanded that Katongole be released and the threats to arrest more of their fellow residents be rescinded or else they declare war against any Buganda official who dared to cross their area.
The residents, who reported the matter to their political leaders, threatened to demonstrate and fight anyone who dared to evict them.
They also demanded an explanation from Mengo about the signpost. A few days after his arrest, Katongole was released.
On February 6, BLB officials travelled to Busabala playground on the shores of Lake Victoria, about 10 miles from the city centre and held a meeting with the residents of the affected villages.
Over 200 of the residents turned up.
During a peaceful but heated meeting at Busabala playground along the shores of Lake Victoria on February 6, BLB’s estates manager John Kamoome explained that Busabala lies in Kabaka’s reserve on his 350 square miles of land.
“Kabaka has never chased and will never chase you away from this land. But the fact is this is gazetted land and if he wants to do anything here, he might choose to resettle you somewhere else or compensate you,†Kamoome explained.
He revealed that the Kabaka hopes to utilise the Busabala land in the next five to 10 years.
Joseph Mukasa Mulindwa, a BLB consultant, apologised to the residents for not giving them prior communication before erecting the signpost, adding: “It was not meant to be put at that place, but at some other unoccupied place.†The signpost was erected at one of the residents’ plots.
Mulindwa, the former Rakai district chairperson, thanked the residents for being calm during the meeting. “We thought you were going to go physical and perhaps beat us, but thank you for being cool-headed.â€
Two armed Police officers kept an eye as the meeting went on. When the resident insisted that compensating or resettling them were not viable alternatives, Mulindwa said they would report back to the Mengo authorities about their views.
In a memorandum read by the four villages’ joint secretary, Ibrahim Mukova, the residents said they recognised the fact that they were squatters on Kabaka’s land, but requested the Kabaka to consider putting his developments on other parts of his reserve land.
“We have lived here for over 50 years even before Kabaka (Ronald) Mutebi was born and have our burial grounds here, where shall we go?†asked George William Ssemukasa, the Buggu village vice-chairman.
But Kamoome reiterated that the land was reserved and that the Kabaka reserves the right to do whatever he wants on it.
“What I am telling you is the reality. This land is reserve land for the Kabaka, whether you like it or not.â€
The residents tasked the BLB officials to convey their message to the Kabaka to look for alternative land, suggesting distant areas like Mubende.
They also reported that some BLB officials were engaged in dubious land sales in their villages and that some come in the company of armed soldiers.
Kamoome and Mulindwa reassured the residents that no one would grab their land.
The BLB officials promised to report all the residents’ complaints to the Kabaka and assured them that nobody would evict them.
Mulindwa urged them to register their tenancy with Mengo and assured those who have already registered that nobody would evict them.
“We shall send people with BLB identity cards with whom you will register and get your certificates of occupancy,†Mulindwa stated.
Registration of tenants on Kabaka’s land, he explained, would take place in all other areas of Buganda soon.
Mengo will not hire K.K Property Consultants to do the registration on its behalf let alone any other private company, Mulindwa said although he was reluctant to give the reason why.
Sources, however, reveal that K.K Property Consultants lost the deal after it failed to remit the percentage of funds that were supposed to be paid to Mengo out of the sh82,000 the residents were charged.
WHEN Elphaz Katende heard that the Mengo establishment was about to force him off a piece of land he has lived on all his life, he got confused.
Katende says he is torn between fighting for his land, where his forefathers also lived, and respecting the directive from his Kabaka – Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, to whom he is very loyal.
“But why would he want to chase us away? Where should we go? Look at me.
I was born during Kabaka Chwa’s reign. At this age, where can I go?†asked Katende, who relied on guesswork to tell me that he was around 95 years old.
The trouble stems from a signpost that officials from Buganda Land Board (BLB) erected in Busabala, telling Katende and some other residents in over 500 households in Makindye-Sabagabo sub-county, Wakiso district, not to trespass on the Kabaka’s land.
Ironically, the signpost was put up without any prior communication to the residents, raising suspicion that ‘some rich man could be using the Mengo cover to grab their plots of land’.
Katende is among the over 20,000 residents of Kirinda, Buggu, Busabala and Ziranumbu villages who own plots (bibanja) on the Kabaka’s 350 square miles of land that the central government returned to Buganda Kingdom.
“Buganda Land Board. No trespass on Kabaka’s land,†one of the residents remembers, were the wordings on both sides of the signpost, placed a few metres from the gate to Kaazi scouts ground in Busabala, last month.
The panic and confusion the signpost caused forced the residents to remove it.
The signpost, the residents argued, was confusing to them as it was not clear whether it was meant to stop them from accessing their bibanja or otherwise.
Like all the other residents, Katende supported the removal of the signpost on grounds that he was bitter that his own Kabaka had masterminded his eviction without any warning.
“We cannot disobey our Kabaka. We love him so much, but we had just paid sh82,000 to KK Property Consultants hired by Mengo to acquire certificates of occupancy.
Before some of us could even acquire the certificates, people just came and erected a signpost telling us not to trespass. What is the meaning of this?†asked Wasswa Galiwango, a resident of Busabala.
The situation nearly turned violent when one of the residents, Fred Katongole, was arrested in connection with removing the signpost and the BLB officials threatened to arrest seven more residents.
The residents demanded that Katongole be released and the threats to arrest more of their fellow residents be rescinded or else they declare war against any Buganda official who dared to cross their area.
The residents, who reported the matter to their political leaders, threatened to demonstrate and fight anyone who dared to evict them.
They also demanded an explanation from Mengo about the signpost. A few days after his arrest, Katongole was released.
On February 6, BLB officials travelled to Busabala playground on the shores of Lake Victoria, about 10 miles from the city centre and held a meeting with the residents of the affected villages.
Over 200 of the residents turned up.
During a peaceful but heated meeting at Busabala playground along the shores of Lake Victoria on February 6, BLB’s estates manager John Kamoome explained that Busabala lies in Kabaka’s reserve on his 350 square miles of land.
“Kabaka has never chased and will never chase you away from this land. But the fact is this is gazetted land and if he wants to do anything here, he might choose to resettle you somewhere else or compensate you,†Kamoome explained.
He revealed that the Kabaka hopes to utilise the Busabala land in the next five to 10 years.
Joseph Mukasa Mulindwa, a BLB consultant, apologised to the residents for not giving them prior communication before erecting the signpost, adding: “It was not meant to be put at that place, but at some other unoccupied place.†The signpost was erected at one of the residents’ plots.
Mulindwa, the former Rakai district chairperson, thanked the residents for being calm during the meeting. “We thought you were going to go physical and perhaps beat us, but thank you for being cool-headed.â€
Two armed Police officers kept an eye as the meeting went on. When the resident insisted that compensating or resettling them were not viable alternatives, Mulindwa said they would report back to the Mengo authorities about their views.
In a memorandum read by the four villages’ joint secretary, Ibrahim Mukova, the residents said they recognised the fact that they were squatters on Kabaka’s land, but requested the Kabaka to consider putting his developments on other parts of his reserve land.
“We have lived here for over 50 years even before Kabaka (Ronald) Mutebi was born and have our burial grounds here, where shall we go?†asked George William Ssemukasa, the Buggu village vice-chairman.
But Kamoome reiterated that the land was reserved and that the Kabaka reserves the right to do whatever he wants on it.
“What I am telling you is the reality. This land is reserve land for the Kabaka, whether you like it or not.â€
The residents tasked the BLB officials to convey their message to the Kabaka to look for alternative land, suggesting distant areas like Mubende.
They also reported that some BLB officials were engaged in dubious land sales in their villages and that some come in the company of armed soldiers.
Kamoome and Mulindwa reassured the residents that no one would grab their land.
The BLB officials promised to report all the residents’ complaints to the Kabaka and assured them that nobody would evict them.
Mulindwa urged them to register their tenancy with Mengo and assured those who have already registered that nobody would evict them.
“We shall send people with BLB identity cards with whom you will register and get your certificates of occupancy,†Mulindwa stated.
Registration of tenants on Kabaka’s land, he explained, would take place in all other areas of Buganda soon.
Mengo will not hire K.K Property Consultants to do the registration on its behalf let alone any other private company, Mulindwa said although he was reluctant to give the reason why.
Sources, however, reveal that K.K Property Consultants lost the deal after it failed to remit the percentage of funds that were supposed to be paid to Mengo out of the sh82,000 the residents were charged.