Districts have no power over Buganda land â€" Speaker
Feb 05, 2009
DISTRICT local governments do not have power to return property that belonged to Buganda Kingdom, the speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, has said.
By Catherine Bekunda and Milton Olupot
DISTRICT local governments do not have power to return property that belonged to Buganda Kingdom, the speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, has said.
“They do not have the competence and legal capacity to do so,†Ssekandi said yesterday at Parliament.
He was responding to comments by Mathius Nsubuga (DP) that Masaka district council had returned the land and property to the Kabaka of Buganda. This was after the Attorney General, Khiddu Makubuya, had answered a question by Elias Lukwago (Kampala central), seeking to know why the Government had refused to return the Kabaka’s properties.
Lukwago also asked for a list of the properties that had been returned and whether the controversial 9,000 square miles were part of the properties to be returned.
Makubuya said the Government had already returned all properties listed in the law that restored the Buganda kingdom.
These include Bulange, Palace at Mengo, the Butikkiro, Buganda Court building, Kabaka’s official 350 square miles of land, and Namasole’s 10 square miles among others.
He noted that the Government negotiating with traditional rulers over properties that were not listed in the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of assets and properties) Act 1993.
Makubuya said the 9000 square miles were not subject to the Traditional Rulers’ Act.
“The Act was meant to restore the assets of the traditional rulers previously owned, but were confiscated by the State.â€
Makubuya said it was premature to say the Government had failed to return property because negotiations are ongoing.
Several MPs from Buganda demanded to know the timeline for the negotiations.
Lukwago asked why the Government had failed to return the county and sub-county headquarters to Buganda. Nabilah Sempala (FDC) asked why land was perpetually being given away and yet the issue had not been resolved.
DISTRICT local governments do not have power to return property that belonged to Buganda Kingdom, the speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, has said.
“They do not have the competence and legal capacity to do so,†Ssekandi said yesterday at Parliament.
He was responding to comments by Mathius Nsubuga (DP) that Masaka district council had returned the land and property to the Kabaka of Buganda. This was after the Attorney General, Khiddu Makubuya, had answered a question by Elias Lukwago (Kampala central), seeking to know why the Government had refused to return the Kabaka’s properties.
Lukwago also asked for a list of the properties that had been returned and whether the controversial 9,000 square miles were part of the properties to be returned.
Makubuya said the Government had already returned all properties listed in the law that restored the Buganda kingdom.
These include Bulange, Palace at Mengo, the Butikkiro, Buganda Court building, Kabaka’s official 350 square miles of land, and Namasole’s 10 square miles among others.
He noted that the Government negotiating with traditional rulers over properties that were not listed in the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of assets and properties) Act 1993.
Makubuya said the 9000 square miles were not subject to the Traditional Rulers’ Act.
“The Act was meant to restore the assets of the traditional rulers previously owned, but were confiscated by the State.â€
Makubuya said it was premature to say the Government had failed to return property because negotiations are ongoing.
Several MPs from Buganda demanded to know the timeline for the negotiations.
Lukwago asked why the Government had failed to return the county and sub-county headquarters to Buganda. Nabilah Sempala (FDC) asked why land was perpetually being given away and yet the issue had not been resolved.