Summary:
- The land, estimated at over 400 acres, has long been claimed by Makitibu Mixed Farmers, who allege they acquired a title for it in 1987.
KASESE: A delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is in Kasese District on a fact-finding mission regarding the contentious Bwenanule land, which was allegedly purchased by the government to resettle flood victims currently encamped at Muhokya Resettlement Camp.
The Muhokya Resettlement Camp, located in Kasese, Uganda, has been home to flood victims displaced by the devastating 2020 floods that swept across the district.
In July 2021, the Prime Minister pledged that the government would resettle the victims, but the promise remains unfulfilled to date.
During their visit to the contested land, the delegation was met with shock when Mr. Lawrence Bwambale, the area Local Council I Chairperson, presented documents showing that the land in question is currently embroiled in court disputes over ownership.
The land, estimated at over 400 acres, has long been claimed by Makitibu Mixed Farmers, who allege they acquired a title for it in 1987.
However, Mr. Bwambale revealed that recent efforts to cross-check the title in Entebbe indicated that the land was untitled.
Addressing a stakeholders’ meeting at Bwenanule Trading Centre in Muhokya Town Council on Tuesday,Gen. Rugadia Akiiki, the Head of Emergency at OPM and leader of the visiting delegation, confirmed that the government had indeed released funds to purchase land for resettling the flood victims.
Gen. Akiiki explained that their mission was to ascertain whether the land was properly acquired, its location, the seller, and the beneficiaries.
He promised to compile a comprehensive fact-finding report based on the community’s input, assuring transparency in the process.
Mr. Solomon Eluguti, the In-Charge of Disaster Preparedness Management, acknowledged the frequent disasters in Kasese District.
He expressed the government’s concern over the prolonged stay of victims at the Muhokya camp, which has now exceeded four years.
Mr. Eluguti emphasized the government’s commitment to securing land through the proper channels to finally resettle the victims.
Meanwhile, Mr. Zepher Mubingwa, the Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Busongora County, urged the residents of Bwenanule to remain calm as the government works to resolve the land issues.
