UGANDA, Nakasongola | Real Muloodi News | The land title acquisition process, which the government started in 2019 through the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), has frustrated Nakasongola residents.
In 2019, the government embarked on giving land titles to particular occupiers whose landlords were absentees, and the process was to end in 2020.
However, to date, 1,500 households in the communities of Kalungi, Kalongo, and Lwampanga, among other sub-counties in Nakasongola District, are still waiting for land titles in vain.
The households sitting on about 10.8 square miles reportedly still face illegal evictions, destruction of property and other forms of injustice regarding their land ownership.
The Nakasongola County MP, Noah Mutebi Wanzala, revealed that various people had made pleas to President Museveni, the Lands Minister, Judith Nabakooba, and the parliament, but all to a dead end.
“We convened community meetings and witnessed the surveying process for the respective land that was surveyed in 2019. We are yet to see the land titles,” Honourable Mutebi said.
He added that the government officials who initiated and were spearheading the land title project were not silent on the matter.
The Nakasongola District chairperson, Sam Kigula, said over 80% of Nakasongola residents are squatters on land owned by absentee landlords.
“When we received the Uganda Land Commission bosses in 2019, we thought that the president had finally responded to the cries of the people of Nakasongola. We need a quick follow up on this matter,” the chairperson said.
Arnold Ssemanganda, a resident of Kigejjo Parish in Kalungi, complained that he had availed all the required details to government surveyors hoping to get the land titles, but it has never happened.
Minister Nabakooba, however, encouraged the people of Nakasongola that the project is still ongoing, although it has been delayed due to technical changes beyond management.
“Nakasongola is among the prioritized districts that will benefit from the Land Funds to offset the land ownership challenges. I have visited the district at the invitation of the leaders and appreciate the land challenges. The process to roll out the land fund that government promised will be fulfilled that the land challenges,” the minister explained.
She assured the residents of Nakasongola that the government is pushing for land reforms.
She added that the government needed almost UGX 47.2 trillion to pay off landlords all over the country so that the tenants live peacefully on the land.
Currently, ULC needs UGX 150 billion to settle the bills of those landlords who hadn’t surrendered regularly to their sitting landlords.
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