Land inquiry commission resumes hearings

PIC: Justice Catherine Bamugemereire heads the commission. (Credit: Maria Wamala)

PROBE | LAND

KAMPALA - Two weeks after taking a technical break, the commission of inquiry into land matters is resuming its public hearings Monday.

In a press statement, Ebert Byenkya, the commission's lead lawyer, stated that they have made progress regarding obtaining the resources the commission requires to do its work and that they are now in position to proceed with the hearings.

Earlier this month, the commission took a break after running out of funds to operate.

During a press briefing before the break, Catherine Bamugemereire, the chairperson of the commission, told journalists that they could not proceed due to lack of funds.

It was revealed that out of the sh17b given to the Ministry of Finance to cover the commission's work for six months, it only got sh2.5b for the first quarter.

Byenkya, through a press statement released by the judiciary communications officer Solomon Muyita, stated that finance minister Matia Kasaija has given firm confirmation to the commission that the resources to enable it do its work will be made available in the shortest time possible.

"The commission has cordial and constructive interactions with the Ministry of Finance and other government agencies," he said.

Muyita said that during the break, the commission registered 160 new complaints from members of the public and most of them were reviewed and selected for the public hearings this week.

It is understood the commission has also commenced the preparation of the interim report, which they are required to submit to the president within a period of three months, from May 9 when it started work.

However, according to Byenkya, the two-week break might affect the submission date.

The seven-member commission was set up to inquire into the effectiveness of law, policies and processes of land acquisition, land administration, land management and land registration in Uganda.

It was appointed by the president on December 8, 2016 and was sworn in on February 21 this year. 

Other members on the commission include Robert Ssebunya, Mary Oduka Ochan, Joyce Gunze Habaasa, Rose Nakayi, Fredrick Ruhindi and George Bagonza Tinkamanyire.

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