When Dr. Nduhuura (right) was handing over to Amb. Kintu Nyago as Uganda’s permanent Mission to the UN
BY MOSES MUGALULA
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
UGANDA’S Ambassador to Pretoria, South Africa H.E Kintu Nyago who has a record of fighting for Bibanja holders in different parts of the country has saluted Buganda Land Board (BLB), an organisation set up by His Majesty The Kabaka to manage his land, for what he has called better treatment of bibanja holders.
Amb. Kintu Nyago says, BLB has perfectly handled tenants on Kabaka’s land in that, there are no eviction reports of bibanja holders as this is common to other mailo land owners and even on public land.
In an interview with this News Website, Ambassador Kintu Nyago said bibanja holders are happily settled on Kabaka’s land, no disturbances, they only have to pay Busuulu and enjoy staying on Kabaka’s land. He thanked BLB for protecting tenants on Kabaka’s land.
“Kabaka, through his Buganda Land Board (BLB), treats better bibanja holders on the Kingdom land than any other Mailo owners. There is stability for those on Kabaka’s land. People are more settled, there is no evictions like we see with other mailo land. I want to thank Kabaka and BLB on this.” Noted Ambassador Kintu Nyago.
He was speaking to us about how President Museveni can fight and end land evictions and his views on the proposed land ammendments to scrap mailo land tenure system in Uganda.
This proposal is campaigned for by the State minister for land Dr. Samuel Mayanja although public has strongly rejected it saying, it is being brought in bad spirit, targeting Kabaka’s land vowing never to support it.
In his view, Amb. Kintu Nyago said, “The land law we have is enough, we only need it’s implementation.The land ministry should not waste time in drafting land law amendment bill, the only solution to land eviction is availability of the land fund. You can’t take people’s land for free. Bring land fund, land owners will willingly sell it to Government.”
He said, the system of land fund worked in Ankole and Kibale and President Museveni didn’t need an amendment of the land law to get mailo land in these areas.
Ambassador Nyago revealed, “It is not true that Mailo land is only in Buganda. In Ankole, Prince Barigye had Mailo land. Hon. Nathan Byanyima also had mailo land his grand father was a chief in Isingiro. They got chunks of land.
Government compensated Barigye and Nathan Byanyima using the land fund.” It is said, Hon. Nathan Byanyima used this money to start a bus company called Ibabu coaches. Each of the tenants on this land got Free-hold land titles.
Nyago believes, who ever has a land title can easily get a bank loan and ventures into business, Agriculture, farming, etc.
But if you don’t have a title, it’s hard to use that kibanja to develop because each time you try to put up any development, the land owner will block you. According to him, that is why here in Buganda, there is no development like in the Areas of say, Ankole.
He asked, if land fund worked in Ankole and in Kibale where Prime minister Robinah Nabbanja comes from, why don’t they use the same approach here?
“Why doesn’t Government get a land fund, call willing land owners to a round table and compensates them so that bibanja holders also get titles? Does this requires to first amend the land law?” He asked.
Kintu Nyago said, NRM performed poorly in Buganda during last year’s general election mainly because of poor handling of land issues not because of tribalism.
He gave an example of Mubende which is dominated by Banyoro, Batoro and Banyankole but people didn’t vote NRM yet in the neighbouring district of Kakumiro where land fund was applied, NRM scored highly.
He revealed that, the rift between land owners and bibanja holders can easily be sorted out by land fund.
Without this, minister Sam Mayanja is wasting time with his land amendments to scrap mailo land because it doesnt solve the land problem.
“There must be a win-win situation. You can’t take people’s land by force. My interest is to see president Museveni stay in power. Let him solve the land problem in Buganda by applying land fund approach he used in Ankole and other parts of the country. Land owners will be compensated and they will relinquish their land willingly. This will bring harmony in the country.” Said Ambassador Nyago.
He advised Lands minister Judith Nabakooba to take land fund in areas like Mityana, engage land owners, majority will willingly give away their land without first pulling of ropes and coming up with senseless land amendments.
“We don’t need a new Land law. That is a wastage of time and money. Instead, let there be justice. Land fund was used in Ankole, Isingiro, Kashari and Kibale, also bring it to Buganda.” Said Kintu Nyago. He gave an example of a one Bazongere who was a chief in Mengo. He had a mailo land in Kibale and was among the land fund beneficiaries.
Asked whether land owners in Buganda will embrace land fund, he said yes because they are also fed up with land court battles, mob justice implicated on them by bibanja holders and some land Lords have lost lives like one man in Nakaseke who was killed by a kibanja holder. So if Government brings land fund, many landlords will give away their land.
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