Kagadi leaders petition Parliament over land dispute

Local leaders from Kadagi District have petitioned Parliament over illegal possession of over 150 acres of their land.

The LC3 Chairman, Robert Tumukwasibe Birwahuri who led the group said that the contentious piece of land which is located in the village of Mpeifu had been sold and titled to a private individual without the knowledge of the people occupying the land.

Tumukwasibe said that they have approached various leaders including the Minister of Lands and the President in vain.

“We met the President in 2016 asking for compensation for the land that had been taken up without paying the people staying on it,” he said, adding that, “the President promised to investigate the matter and make sure that they got compensated”.

He added that the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon Betty Amongi had visited the area in the same year and promised to follow up the matter with the President which he said had not happened.

Tumukwasibe said that they had approached the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters headed by Justice Catherine Bamugereire adding that they had been helped.

Tumukwasibe added that ever since the locals learned of the titling of the land, they are apprehensive towards carrying out any activity on it.

“The people cannot carry out any agriculture or put up any structure for fear of being evicted; they need a way forward from their predicament,” he appealed to the Speaker.

Buyaga West MP Barnabas Tinkasimire said that in addition to the above, the report that was used to inform the creation of the title in the name of Dr. Baltzar Kasirivu Atwooki was based on doctored information.

“A report was drafted and a group of people who do not belong to the area signed it forming the basis for the issuance of the title,” he said, adding that the people who made the report consented to the forgeries in front of the President.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga promised to follow up the matter with the President to find out whether he had made any headway and also probe the Minister for an update on the issue.