Besigye sh200m dispute among backlog land cases

COURT 

The special session land cases hearing started Monday, with a sh200m claim by Dr. Kizza Besigye, among the listed backlog to be handled by Land Court, Kampala.

Since 2014, Besigye has been battling SIL Investments Limited and another individual Johnstone Kapesha, over a prime plot in Rukungiri town.

Besigye claims he was a guarantor when Kapesha requested for a loan from the defunct Cooperative Bank in 1998.

In the court filings, the Opposition politician explains the genesis of his woes, stating that in June 1998, Kapesha sought his assistance to boost his (Kapesha's) business in Rukungiri town.

The case is among the 220 cases lined up to be heard countrywide for the next two months, with joint funding from government and World Bank(WB) to the tune of over sh300m.

Justice David Batema is hearing the case. It is part of the 120 cases to be heard specifically at the Land Division of the High Court in Kampala.  

All the six judges have each been assigned 20 cases. The other judges are Vincent Mugabo, Phillip Odoki, Moses Kazibwe, Jeanne Rwakakoko, and Alexandra Nkonge.

The five others will be conducted at Mukono, Mpigi, Masaka, Jinja, Mbale, and Kabale High Courts.

Acting Chief Registrar Tom Chemutai, has estimated that each land case can be concluded in three days, and would free the economy from impediment. 

"Failure to resolve land disputes has cost the country a lot of money in delayed implementation of infrastructure projects.

Investment projects have equally been affected by slow land adjudication, making Uganda a high-cost investment destination," said Chemutai.

The persistent backlog has dogged the Judiciary, with 52% of the cases that have spent over two years and above, in the court system, being categorised as backlog.

Last week, Judiciary principal communications officer Solomon Muyita, explained that the special initiative is solely aimed at reducing the backlog. This stands at half of the 11,952 pending cases at the High Court Land Division.

Also last week, permanent secretary Pius Bigirimana, disclosed that WB had pledged to commit an additional sh500m grant to fight backlog.