The Rubanda and Kabale Resident District Commissioners have raised concern over the rampant grabbing and illegal acquisition of government land, warning that the practice threatens land reserved for public institutions and future development.
Rubanda RDC Kyeyune Ssenyonjo said government land, including plots reserved for schools, health centres, police stations and forests, belongs to Ugandans and must be protected from individuals seeking to acquire it for personal gain.
Ssenyonjo made the remarks on Thursday during a Kigezi Sub-region stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a comprehensive government land inventory organised by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in partnership with the Uganda Land Commission at Cephas Inn Hotel in Kabale Municipality.
He said his experience working in Buikwe and Buvuma districts exposed him to cases where forest land was allegedly taken by individuals who subsequently acquired land titles.
Ssenyonjo said the loss of government land affects the delivery and expansion of public services because land reserved for schools, health centres and police stations is intended to serve communities.
He attributed the problem partly to increasing demand for land, coupled with the activities of land brokers and other unscrupulous individuals who exploit weaknesses in land administration systems.
Ssenyonjo welcomed the regional workshops organised by the Uganda Land Commission, saying they provide an opportunity for stakeholders to identify challenges affecting government land and develop measures to recover and protect public property.
He, however, challenged authorities to move beyond discussions and take action to recover government land already acquired by private individuals.
He also cited an experience in Karamoja, where land reserved for a District Commissioner’s residence had allegedly been occupied and structures erected on it.
Ssenyonjo urged the Uganda Land Commission, district land boards and other land management authorities to strengthen cooperation and take action against encroachment on government land.
Meanwhile, Kabale RDC Maj. Godfrey Katamba called for the deployment of government legal officers at district level to strengthen the defence of public land.
Katamba said the absence of dedicated legal officers has left local governments struggling to effectively defend government land in court, contributing to the loss of valuable public property.
He said although the Attorney General’s office provides legal services to government, support at district level is sometimes inadequate.
According to Katamba, Kabale District has about 20 government land-related cases before courts, but some are not being adequately followed up, leaving neighbouring residents to raise concerns over suspected land grabbing.
Katamba also called for stricter procedures in the allocation of public land, saying some district land boards allegedly allocate government land without obtaining the required council minutes.
He urged authorities to ensure that premiums payable on public land are properly declared and collected in accordance with the law.
The RDC further raised concern over the alleged conversion of leases on government land into freehold titles, saying the practice has contributed to the loss of public land.
He called for a review of laws governing the conversion of land acquired from public entities into freehold, arguing that such provisions could be exploited by individuals seeking to take over government property.
Katamba proposed the establishment of a commission of inquiry to establish the extent of public land grabbing across the country and recommend measures for recovering and protecting government land.
He cited Katakwi District, where he said he had encountered cases involving the alleged grabbing of thousands of acres of government land.
The RDC also urged government to prioritise the surveying and titling of its land across the country, saying secure ownership documents would help protect land reserved for future infrastructure projects.
He warned that failure to protect government land could force the State to spend more money compensating private landowners when it needs land for roads, hospitals and other public infrastructure.
Katamba also raised concern over land occupied by former staff and tenants around Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, saying the situation has hindered plans to expand the facility.
He said portions of hospital land were affected by a divestiture programme in the 1990s, under which land was allocated to doctors, their families and other occupants.
Although the programme was later cancelled, Katamba said some occupants have remained on the land pending compensation, affecting efforts to expand the hospital.
He urged government to resolve the compensation issue and reclaim the land to enable the hospital to expand and improve its services.
Katamba said stronger coordination among district land offices, surveyors, physical planners, local governments and central government agencies is critical in protecting public land.
He also asked the Ministry of Lands to support the surveying and titling of government land to reduce future disputes and protect land reserved for public use.
CUE IN RDC KATAMBA….ON GOV’T LAND….ENG//
The Chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission, Prof Pen-Mogi Nyeko, also cautioned members of district land boards in the six districts of Kigezi against allocating or facilitating the grabbing of government land.
Prof Nyeko said government land, whether titled or untitled, must remain protected because it is an important asset for development and future public projects.
He said government land is required for major investments, including mineral and iron ore processing, as well as the expansion of schools and other public institutions.
Prof Nyeko urged district land board members and other leaders to resist pressure from individuals seeking public land for private interests.
He advised people seeking land for private investments to purchase it from individual landowners instead of targeting land reserved for government projects.
Prof Nyeko said protecting government land would create room for the expansion of public services and attract investors whose projects could contribute to the development of Kigezi.
CUE IN PROF. PEN….ON LAND….ENG//
