Amongi rejects Buganda's land compensation proposal

Jul 18, 2017

The proposal to amend Article 26 of the Constitution seeks to give government leeway to use the land gazetted for public infrastructure development

Minister Betty Amongi addressing the press on the proposals at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. Photo by Tony Rujuta

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Betty Amongi Ongom, has rejected a proposal fronted by Buganda's Katikkiro, Charles Peter Mayiga, that instead of amending the Constitution, Government should establish a subsidiary law on land to easily address conflicts during the implementation of projects.

"We need a subsidiary legislation under the Land Act to expeditiously handle land compensation cases in areas where the Government intends to have projects like the Entebbe Express Way. Now the road has delayed because of compensation, yet it is for the good of us all," Mayiga said during a session of Lukiiko at Mengo, the seat of Buganda Kingdom this week . 

However, Amongi has rejected the proposal, arguing that the decision to come up with an amendment to the Constitution on land related compensation issues was resolved by cabinet after exploring all the legal avenues available.

"The proposal by the Katikkiro cannot be taken because to determine what we want to cure you don't need to amend a subsidiary law or come up with a new subsidiary law but to enshrine the principle in the constitution," she said.

Amongi, who was today morning addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center, also clarified that government's proposal to amend Article 26 of the Constitution is to facilitate faster land acquisition for public infrastructure and not grabbing land as it has been portrayed in some circles.

The amendment, Amongi said, seeks to give government leeway to use the land gazetted for public infrastructure development after depositing compensation money agreed by the chief government valuer to court pending determination by court of any dispute relating to compensation.

Currently, once the owner of the land rejects the government compensation or challenges it in court, work on the government projects on such land are paralysed pending court ruling.

In the view of Government, Amongi said, such tedious processes have delayed projects.

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