By Watchdog reporter
Dr Kizza Besigye has warned that the planned amendment in the Land Act could turn bloody if the government rushes to make sweeping changes that could deprive citizens of their land ownership.
Speaking from his home in Kasangati, Besigye told a press conference that the decision for the Government to have express powers to take over any private land for development was intended to grab land from its owners by a mafia group in President Museveni’s government.
“There is a lot of suffering due to people being brutally displaced and evicted from their land, others are even being killed in the process,” said Besigye.
He added, “accelerating land registration now can be a disaster in our country,” warning that “the issue of land is one that can lead the country to war if it’s not well handled.”
The FDC leader said Ugandans don’t have enough knowledge and information about land registration and titling processes and blamed it on weak land management system which are also “bedevilled by corruption”.
Besigye said the government was targeting “the land from Northern and Eastern Uganda which is owned on the customary basis and the traditional land management was destroyed by the war through displacement.”
He worried that the “corrupt parliament which receives bribes on every issue” would pass the Bill in any form if brought on the floor of parliament.
Besigye called upon Ugandans rise up and defend their land like they did with Mabira forest.
“Ugandans should defend their land, they can take out everything through bailouts but on land, we have to draw a red line. Take an example of Shimoni land, who owns it what has happened ever since it was taken that on investment plans, who owns Naguru land, look at Honorable Muhanga who claimed to take 10BN cash to buy it and claim selling off her cows to buy public land but how is it possible ? So let’s not fooled and let our citizens be ready to take up the fight for land.”
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