President Museveni warns landlords

President Yoweri Museveni has strongly warned landlords who take advantage of the illiteracy of bonafide bibanja occupants and continue to illegally evict them from their bibanja saying that their actions are unlawful.

The President was speaking at a function where he handed over 301 land tittles to 301 bibanja holders that government had procured from the landlords at a cost of Sh2.5 billion using the Government's Land Fund.

The handover ceremony took place on Friday at Kirema Church of Uganda Primary School grounds in Semuto Sub-County in Nakaseke District.

The 301 beneficiaries came from the villages of Kirema, Kibubu and Kitoto in Nakaseke District.

President Museveni who observed that, said that the 1995 Constitution is very clear on the status of bibanja holders and how they should relate with the landlords.

He said that the constitution gives no power to the landlords to evict the bibanja holders whatsoever adding that whoever carries out evictions does it illegally and should be penalised.

He described a bonafide kibanja holder as one who either bought or was given by the original landlord; one who was on the kibanja before 1983 or anyone who bought or inherited from the two above.

He, at this point, instructed Resident District Commissioners, the Police and local leaders to oppose and stop the eviction of bibanja holders by landlords.

Museveni said that because of the limited resources Government cannot pay all the landlords at the same time.

He added that government will consider issuing certificate of occupancy to all bibanja holders to safeguard them from illegal evictions until resources are available to pay off the landlords.

He thanked the people of Nakaseke District for the support they have given the Movement right from the revolutionary struggle up to today and promised that the Movement will, at all times, stand with the ordinary citizen.

President Museveni (Centre),Minister Amongi(Left) during the handover ceremony at Kirema Church of Uganda Primary School grounds in Semuto Sub-County in Nakaseke District( PPU Photo)

Lands Minister, Hon. Betty Amongi, said that her Ministry is committed to securing land for all bonafide bibanja holders using the Land Fund although the challenge is the limited resources at the ministry's disposal.

She said that the major challenges to her Ministry, in an attempt to safeguard bibanja holders, was the mortgaging of the land by landlords, continued issuance of eviction orders by courts of law, refusal by landlords to collect the recommended busulu and conflicts between landlords on ownership that make it hard for government to know whom it should deal with.

She revealed that government had fixed the annual busulu at not more than Sh5,000 in villages, Sh20,000 in Town Councils, Sh30,000 in Municipalities and Sh50,000 in Cities.

She said that no one should charge more than what has been stipulated.

She asked all government organs to implement that.