NRM legislators back Land Bill

Oct 20, 2009

NRM MPs have agreed to unanimously support the Land Bill 2007, arguing that it is the only solution to stop rampant land evictions.

By Madinah Tebajjukira

NRM MPs have agreed to unanimously support the Land Bill 2007, arguing that it is the only solution to stop rampant land evictions.

The Government chief whip, Daudi Migereko, told the press that during a caucus meeting held yesterday at Parliament, NRM members agreed to support the highly-contested Bill to protect the poor from being evicted.
“We have agreed to support all the issues in the Bill apart from a few areas which need harmonisation,” Migereko said.

The caucus instructed Katikamu North MP Abraham Byandala, who is the chairperson of the committee on physical infrastructure, to ensure that all clauses are harmonised, he added.

A source said the meeting resolved that Buganda MPs will urgently meet the lands minister to reach a consensus on some controversial clauses. The meeting, the source added, should be held before the Bill is presented to Parliament for debate.

Buganda MPs want clarification on a clause which empowers the minister to determine rent (busuulu). They also want to agree on the grounds under which a tenant can be evicted by a landlord.

“Given its urgency, we have agreed to handle this matter very fast. We must pass this Bill before Christmas because people have had enough suffering and we want to end it,” the source said.

The Bill, which has faced a lot of resistance, mainly from the Buganda kingdom, wants to give more security to lawful and bona fide occupants on registered land.

The kingdom says the Government wants to grab its land and allow other land grabbers to take over the controversial 9,000 square miles it claims.

Under the 1900 Buganda agreement, the Queen of England paid the Kabaka and his regents for the 9,000 square miles which, after a survey 30 years later, appeared to be only about 5,000 square miles.

When the Bill first came up, the kingdom appointed a civic task force to decampaign it, using the now suspended CBS radio stations.

“The Kabaka’s radio, CBS, launched a campaign against the amendment,” President Yoweri Museveni said in a speech last month.

“His Highness the Kabaka commissioned a group of people led by Nambooze to travel around Buganda and incite people with all sorts of incredible lies against the proposed Land Bill amendment, (saying) Museveni wants to sell your land.”

During the caucus meeting yesterday, the MPs agreed to approve seven new districts this financial year and another seven in the next financial year, bringing the number to 96.

The legislators also resolved to separate the Attorney General’s office from the Ministry of Justice, effectively creating two ministries. They further agreed that the President should appoint a state minister for East African affairs.

Migereko said the members asked Prime Minister Apolo Nsibambi to table the resolutions before Parliament.

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