MPs Drop Family Land Plan
Jun 11, 2003
A SPECIAL parliamentary committee has dropped the family land co-ownership proposal.
By Okello Jabweli
and Henry Mukasa
A SPECIAL parliamentary committee has dropped the family land co-ownership proposal.
In its proposals presented to the House yesterday, the select committee on the Land Act Amendment Bill, wants spouses seeking to sell, transfer or mortgage family land to seek the consent of their partners.
Women MPs and other gender activists have been agitating for a provision in the Land Act prohibiting men from selling off or mortgaging family land without the consent of their wives and children.
“It is not too late. The struggle for co-ownership should continue. Co-ownership of land can only evolve in terms of our laws, cultures and other parameters,†Freddie Ruhindi said.
The committee on natural resources had in its report on the Land Act Amendment Bill, proposed that land on which a family derives ordinary sustenance be jointly registered in the names of spouses and their children.
However, the select committee chaired by Ruhindi (Nakawa) wants children left out of land management.
Under the proposals, a spouse will be free to place a caveat on family land he or she does not want sold.
Parliament will begin debate on the new proposals next week.
The committee defined family land as that land on which “is situated ordinary residence of the family or from which the family derives sustenance or which the spouses freely agree to be treated as family land.â€
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prof. Apollo Nsibambi yesterday assured the people of northern Uganda that the Government is concerned by the insecurity in the region.
Lamwo County MP Hillary Onek earlier said his constituents were being targeted by Joseph Kony’s rebel group.
Ends
and Henry Mukasa
A SPECIAL parliamentary committee has dropped the family land co-ownership proposal.
In its proposals presented to the House yesterday, the select committee on the Land Act Amendment Bill, wants spouses seeking to sell, transfer or mortgage family land to seek the consent of their partners.
Women MPs and other gender activists have been agitating for a provision in the Land Act prohibiting men from selling off or mortgaging family land without the consent of their wives and children.
“It is not too late. The struggle for co-ownership should continue. Co-ownership of land can only evolve in terms of our laws, cultures and other parameters,†Freddie Ruhindi said.
The committee on natural resources had in its report on the Land Act Amendment Bill, proposed that land on which a family derives ordinary sustenance be jointly registered in the names of spouses and their children.
However, the select committee chaired by Ruhindi (Nakawa) wants children left out of land management.
Under the proposals, a spouse will be free to place a caveat on family land he or she does not want sold.
Parliament will begin debate on the new proposals next week.
The committee defined family land as that land on which “is situated ordinary residence of the family or from which the family derives sustenance or which the spouses freely agree to be treated as family land.â€
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prof. Apollo Nsibambi yesterday assured the people of northern Uganda that the Government is concerned by the insecurity in the region.
Lamwo County MP Hillary Onek earlier said his constituents were being targeted by Joseph Kony’s rebel group.
Ends