The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has asked President Museveni to stop “politicizing” land matters, saying that his recent remarks on Mailo Land and Buganda Land Board are causing tension and insecurity in the country.
“His latest unrelenting attack on the country’s land tenure system is causing unnecessary tension and insecurity. He should forthwith stop politicizing land problems in the country,” FDC spokesperson, Ibrahim Semujju Nganda said on Monday.
In a recent letter to NRM mobilisers, Museveni reportedly described Mailo Land as “exploitative” and Buganda Land Board as “illegal.”
“Resist land evictions for Bibanja owners and work for the emancipation of the Bibanja owners and compensation of the exploitative Mailo owner. Resist all schemes of okutemako (cut pieces from) of the Bibanja owners’ land or kyaapa mungalo (“leases” given by the illegal Buganda Land Board),” Museveni wrote to NRM mobilizers.
The president said leases were for the educated sometimes foreign, commercial producers using land, and cannot be for the Ugandans who have their homes and graves of their ancestors on those lands.
“That is why customary or freehold may be the only correct models for Ugandans. However, that ownership should be tied, in my opinion, with the obligations to use land as agreed with the state,” said Museveni.
FDC, in response said Museveni’s remarks should be ignored because they can cause violence and breaking of the law.
“The content of his recent statement to the NRM leaders in which he attacked Mailo land tenure system and declared Buganda Land Board illegal, should be ignored because it is a recipe for violence and will drive the population into breaking the law,” said Semujju.
Citing Uganda’s population trajectory over the years, Semujju said population growth is the main source of pressure on land.
“Even if you confiscate land from the Kabaka of Buganda and all Mailo Land owners like the Church, and redistribute it, tension and conflicts will remain because of the sheer size of the population. The country’s fertility rate at 5.8% (number of births per woman) remains one of the highest in the world.”
“With a growing population, a big percentage of it poor and with impunity of well-connected people, evictions and land conflicts can only increase,” said FDC.
Mailo Land
Mailo land tenure system which is common in Buganda region creates dual ownership over the same piece of land.
Although Mailo land owners have the same rights as freehold owners, they must respect the rights of lawful and bonafide occupants and Bibanja/ Kibanja holders to occupy and live on the land.
Unlike other parts of the country, Buganda has always had challenges with land leading contestations and evictions.
Many attribute Buganda land question to the system of Mailo.
BUGANDA LAND BOARD
Buganda Land Board is a company established under the Company’s Act 2012 as a single member company whose sole shareholder is “The Kabaka of Buganda”. The Kabaka of Buganda is a corporation sole under Article 246(3) of the Constitution of Uganda.
Buganda Land Board was set up by Kabaka of Buganda to manage land and property returned under the restitution of Assets and Properties Act of 1993.
