Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja accused officials of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom of exacerbating land disputes in the sub-region in a recent land symposium meeting held in Kakumiro. The Prime Minister specifically pointed to the threat of eviction on the land hosting the Kakumiro District headquarters, alleging that such actions hinder the progress of affected areas.
Nabbanja revealed that prior to the government granting land titles to the kingdom, incidents of land eviction, especially in Kakumiro, were infrequent. She highlighted two key land plots, Block 300 Plot 1 and Block 294 Plot 19, both registered under the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom. According to her, the kingdom issued leases on Block 300 Plot 1, including a 99-year lease to an individual named Nalweyo, despite ongoing government compensation negotiations for the kingdom. Additionally, several public institutions, including the district headquarters, are situated on this contested land.
During the symposium, Nabbanja posed a crucial question: “How should the government proceed with this situation?” She emphasized the return of titles from Buganda Kingdom to the government of Uganda, suggesting a correlation between the transfer of titles to Bunyoro Kingdom and the subsequent surge in evictions.
Despite the government’s response to the people’s request by allocating a hospital to the district, Nabbanja expressed concern over the leasing activities of Bunyoro Kingdom officials. The symposium, attended by Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, district leaders, and representatives from the Uganda Land Commission and Bunyoro Kingdom, served as a platform for discussing and addressing these concerns.
In response to the accusations, Mr. Alex Katushabe, the chief administrative secretary of Bunyoro Kingdom, denied any wrongdoing. He refuted the claims of issuing a 99-year lease and other questionable land transactions. However, Nabbanja presented two letters, dated 2021, written by Mr. Andrew Byakutaga, the Prime Minister of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, instructing Kakumiro Town Council to refrain from taking possession or engaging in any activities on the disputed land.
One of the letters from Byakutaga admitted an error in the land allocation, stating, “This is to inform you that the above-mentioned communication confirming the allocation of land to the town council was made in error since no due diligence has been undertaken.” The letter directed the town council not to take possession or carry out any activities on the disputed land, according to Nabbanja.
