BY NELLY OTTO
JINJA
WHILE everyone eats and likes sumptuous meals, it does not mean that everyone is capable of creating their own meals or meals for everyone.
Some people are just always in a hurry because they have the lowest level of patience and cannot be able to prepare a meal that requires a lot of waiting time with appropriate ingredients.
Some people are not good cooks while others can eat a half of the food meant for the family or visitors, thus causing confusion. It’s also true that some people have health or personal hygiene-related issues that can compromise the safety of the food production.
This is one of the reasons why the kitchen, both at home and in restaurants or hotels, is a no-go area for certain people and is restricted to a few experts with reasonable knowledge on etiquette.
This is exactly what happens when handling some sensitive and controversial issues which can only be resolved by a handful of people with the patience, tact and knowledge.
Like Thomas Crum, the acclaimed U.S author and presenter on conflict resolution and stress management once said, “the quality of our lives depends not on whether or not we have conflicts, but on how we respond to them…”, the newly constituted Jinja City Land Board was literally ‘cooked’ and ‘served’ by a handful of ‘experts’ on the floor of the Council Chambers.
The Alton Peter Kasolo Okocha-named Board comprises a seven member-team including two celebrated lawyers.
Kampala lawyer Sanyu Mukama Jamil is now the pioneer chairperson of Jinja City Land Board.
The other members include celebrated senior lawyer Alex Luganda, Babra Munyaruguru, Harriet Mirembe Mukisa, Philips Bogere, Mohammed Katuntubiru (FDC) and Emmanuel Joram Kamugisha (NRM) commonly known as Gish.
The names were tabled by the Deputy Mayor Kawuma Fazira, who is also the Leader of Government Business in a special council sitting on 12 January, 2024.
Who Is Jamil Mukama?
Mukama Sanyu Jamil is an advocate in private practice with considerable legal experience, and doubles as a lecturer at the Law Development Centre teaching the bar course at the Kampala campus.
He also lectures at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) faculty of law.
The soft spoken lawyer is also the director Vast Publishers (formerly Macmillan Uganda).
He has experience in providing transactional and advisory services in an assortment of land transactions in relation to portfolio management, title registration, mortgage registration and general conveyance.
Counsel Jamil Mukama is skilled in aspects of land acquisition, conversion of tenures, protection of people’s interests in land, mortgage security, perfecting practice and general due diligence in land matters.
Most pals who know him say Jamil Mukama has no appetite for politics, is a reserved person who now promises the Jinja City what he calls ‘seamless service delivery and security of tenure’.
Time will tell because land matters in Jinja have always soiled many people including the best of lawyers.
As if to bolster the position of Mukama, the executive of Kasolo found it wise to include a more senior celebrated lawyer Alex Luganda who has a very enriched profile in public affairs.
Luganda is the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs/Attorney General in Busoga Kingdom under the Kyabazinga HRH William Wilberforce K.Nadiope Gabula IV who recently held an historical wedding ceremony that attracted dignitaries from near and far.
Background: What you need to know:
It should be remembered that on more than five times the Council could not amicably resolve on the matter, courtesy of a sharp disagreement between the Council Speaker Bernard Mbayo and Mayor Alton Peter Kasolo ‘Okocha’ on the membership.
Kasolo, in his own wisdom and probably backed by some powerful people, insisted that Luganda be the Board chairperson while the Mbayo camp who also enjoys strong backing from some circles resisted this move.
The matter went to the IGG’s office where some aggrieved people, particularly councilor Richard Mbazira, who had bitterly disagreed with Kasolo, leading to suspension of the whole exercise.
Even after clearance by the IGG, matters were not any easy because the council became even more polarized, something that caused upset to many would be developers who badly needed the services of a functional land board.
How did it happen?
Kadaga factor:
Kadaga, while still the speaker of the 10th Parliament reportedly received numerous complaints and concerns on land related conflicts from Busoga, especially Jinja City even when it was still a municipality.
Having worked so hard to ensure that Jinja attained a city status, it was prudent that a team of formidable people who should manage the land question in a transparent and ethical manner be formed.
Kadaga has remained a power point in Busoga and anyone trying to undermine her stands to lose because of her unwavering love for the region, especially Jinja City the capital seat of the region.
In this context, Kadaga did not want Kasolo’s City Hall to be once again turned into a den of shameless people who would do anything as long as they get money using unscrupulous members of the land board.
“…as big power in the region, there was no way we could ignore Mama Kadaga’s input in as far as the land board is concerned, we also had to incorporate the sentiments of other stakeholders…”,Mbayo, known as a strong ally of Kadaga,who now serves as the First Deputy Prime Minister said.
As if to justify the delay in the formation, Mbayo says this needed a bit of time to consult widely with key stakeholders like the Busoga Kingdom which is the biggest landlord.
The FDC politician says it was also important to consider gender, faith (religion) and other related issues that would make the board an inclusive entity representing the interests of every stakeholder.
After intensive consultations, it was agreed that Jamil Mukama becomes the Board chairperson, aware that for long the board was not only dominated but led by a Christian.
In humility and spirit of unity and harmony, Luganda accepted not only to be a member but to offer wise counsel from the rich store of his knowledge and experience to his learned friend Jamil Mukama. In short, Uganda will be the co- chairperson of the Jinja City Board with Mukama.
On the other hand it was a tug of war for Mbayo to prevail over his friend councilor Richard Mbazira who is religiously an NRM adherent to compromise since he did not approve of some members.
Kingdom factor.
While there at first appeared to be some contradictions among some top kingdom officials, it later emerged that a compromise was reached at and at the end of the day; the Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muvawala and the Deputy Prime Minister Hajji Ahmed Noor Osman took the day.
Osman who attained the status of Hajji a couple of months ago after going for a pilgrimage was literally holding the Board in his bag, meaning nothing could happen until he yields.
When contacted for comments for purposes of this news article, Mbayo says even the Kyabazinga had to be consulted through Dr Muvawala because Busoga kingdom is the biggest landlord in the region.
“…as a council we are so grateful to Dr Muvawala who acted as a link between us and the Kyabazinga; otherwise the stalemate would have persisted up to now…”,Mbayo said.
Some senior citizens and the business community have welcomed the compromise board with special appreciation to counsel Luganda for accepting to work for the people of Jinja and Uganda.
“…it’s a better service delivery on land matters which Luganda and his colleagues have offered to give to the residents including investors unlike in the past where the board was full of unpatriotic people…”, some people who love and respect Luganda said on condition of anonymity.
Conclusively, Mbayo says nobody has lost as far as the Jinja City Board is concerned following more than two years of financial losses to the Council where some unscrupulous people took advantage of the vacuum to mismanage land issues.
The Jinja Town Clerk Edward Lwanga and the RCC Darius Nanidra, among others are some of the people who played crucial roles behind the scene to ensure that the composition of the Board was ready, for fear that some people would frustrate them before President Yoweri Museveni who presided over the 38th NRM Liberation Day celebrations held on 26th January, 2023 in Jinja City.
What Next
Sources familiar with the workings say in a couple of days the exercise of forming area land committees for the two divisions of Southern and Northern will be concluded.
This will be followed by the swearing in ceremony due around Valentine Period when prominent officials like Kadaga, all ministers and MPs hailing from the region, Ministers from Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Local Government plus their Permanent Secretaries are expected to attend.
The Council is also waiting for the Town Clerk to appoint one of the civil servants at the Town Hall as Secretary to the Jinja City Land Board.
These after the Ministry of Lands receive and approve the names as submitted by the Council.
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