The Katikkiro of Buganda Kingdom Charles Peter Mayiga has said the Mailo land tenure system is not among the causes of land disputes in Uganda.
While addressing the Buganda lukiiko during the Kingdom’s budget reading on Monday, Mayiga said Mailo land has existed for over 100 years with no problems associated to it.
He said the current land disputes are being sparked off by weak land laws set by Central government.
Mayiga said that government should first begin with arresting individuals that chase away people from their land using guns.
“These people who chase way people from their land come with guns where do they get them from? Is the government aware of them? If so let them be arrested. Secondly, the government should clean all land offices to enable authenticity and quick response. Many people have found their pieces of land having two land titles, some requests take years, till you pay some extra money, many offices are always closed. Such things must change.”
He added that government should also do some house cleaning in the police department handling land matters. He alludes that this department is too weak to handle land cases in Uganda because it’s full of corrupt officers.
“Government should also arrest civil servants who buy land after knowing that certain government projects are going to take place on that same land and then they ask a lot of money from the government for compensation,” he said.
“Even if you remove the mailo land system in Buganda as you wish but as long as you have not worked on these issues I tell you, land disputes will even get worse in Uganda.”
Mayiga’s advice follows President Yoweri Museveni’s recent displeasure against mailo land.
Speaking during the 32nd Heroes’ day anniversary at Kololo Independence grounds early this month, Museveni said that the Mailo land tenure system is an evil system.
“It is very bad and not fair but some people support it. How do you allow these things to happen? In Buganda, they have so many actors with each one saying this and that and it’s all against a small person. We shall see what to propose including on the issue of absentee landlords,” said Museveni.
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