The Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, has taken significant steps to address ongoing land disputes affecting residents in Kamila Sub-County, Luwero District. On Saturday, she held a meeting with the affected residents to discuss the issues, responding to growing concerns over threats of eviction and confusion surrounding land ownership.
Lukanga Derrick Kibirango, the Luwero District Councilor for Kikyuusa Sub-County, highlighted the gravity of the situation, noting that unresolved land disputes contributed to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) losing all four parliamentary seats in Luwero to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP). He emphasized that dissatisfaction with land issues played a key role in the election results.
The meeting, which included residents from villages such as Kireku, Kyampogola, Kabukunga, Nabinaka, Kyampologoma, and Mazini, focused on finding solutions to these disputes. President Yoweri Museveni, in his 80th birthday speech, had recently reassured tenants that the government would protect them against land grabbers.
He emphasized that landlords should not force tenants to pay exorbitant ground rent or demand land-sharing agreements, which he stated were illegal under the Land Act and Constitution. Minister Nabakooba echoed the president’s sentiments and reassured residents in Mazini village that they could continue using their land, approximately 64 acres, while investigations into the dispute were underway. She tasked the Luwero Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Richard Bwabye, with investigating the origins of the eviction threats and submitting a report within two weeks.
In Nabinaka village, residents voiced fears of eviction, and Nabakooba promised that they would not be displaced while the Ministry of Lands reviewed the case. The contested land, spanning two square miles, is claimed by hundreds of residents and an individual named Lumala. Nabakooba stated that her team would begin an analysis of the two existing land titles next Monday to determine the rightful owner.
The minister assured the community that their voices would be heard and that the land disputes would be resolved fairly and transparently. Gerald Sembatya, a local resident facing eviction, expressed relief at the minister’s intervention, hoping for a swift resolution to their concerns.
