As part of an investigation into irregularities in land compensation, surveyors from the Ministry of Lands and Members of Parliament have agreed to visit properties due for compensation, The Independent reports.
The Adhoc Committee of Parliament, chaired by Kaberamaido County Woman MP Veronica Bichetero, is currently looking into compensation for the church in Ndeeba that was demolished last year.
According to The Independent, another property under investigation is in Lusanja, Wakiso district, where one Medard Kiconco evicted scores of families.
The Uganda Land Commission (ULC) was unaware that the Ministry of Lands had requested 12 billion Ugandan Shillings to compensate these and other landowners. Parliament was yet to approve 19.7 billion Ugandan Shillings.
However, Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki, ULC Chairperson, wrote to Parliament, objecting to the payment. She said the commission, according to ULC, did not authorise the money. She also told Parliament that the land’s acreage was exaggerated and they had already compensated some landlords, The Independent reports.
The committee will spend a week in Bunyoro and Ankole. Later, they will return to Buganda to investigate more of the compensation claims.
The team will go to Geoffrey Mugisha’s land in Kibale, which he claims is worth 1.5 billion Ugandan Shillings in compensation. The Uganda Land Commission has already paid him 50 million Ugandan Shillings as compensation, The Independent reports.
“The committee will then proceed to interact with the claimants in Ankole and then Buganda. We will interact with the local leaders, and the area Members of Parliament to establish the actual information about the size of the land and whether the claims are genuine,” Elijah Okupa, a Committee member, said.
According to the Independent, they will meet with the landowners, assess the land’s acreage and background, and check payment problems.
Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki spoke out against gross corruption and irregularities in land compensation before the Adhoc committee in April.
During the meeting she presented files of the said landowners pointing out irregularities in each of them. Ms. Byenkya said that some landowners had already been paid compensation. Others were exaggerating their property value. While in some cases, the owners were non-existent, she claimed.
Ms. Byenkya also criticised Betty Amoni, the former Minister of Lands, for supporting the irregularities in land complaints, The Independent reports.
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