‘Give us titles for public land being targeted by land grabbers’ – Mbarara authorities task Government 

Mbarara city authorities want the government to expedite the opening up of boundaries and acquire titles for public land being targeted by land grabbers. Data obtained from the office of the Resident City Commissioner shows that Mbarara City Council is about to lose about 500 hectares to land grabbers.

This includes 114 hectares in Rwenjeru,100 hectares in Kyarwabuganda,150 hectares of surveyor’s land, and 44.766 hectares in Karugyembe Katojo in Nyakayonjo.

Robert Kanunsu, the Mbarara Deputy City Resident Commissioner, says that they have recieved intelligence indicating that there are many land grabbers who are eyeing government land while private developers have already obtained titles for the government land.

He says that many government officials including the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba have made several promises to open up the boundaries of government lands in vain.

Kyabwisho Gumisirizak, the Mbarara City North Division Mayor, says that they are challenged by the slow process of acquiring a land title at the Ministry of Lands Zonal Offices in Kamukuzi, which exposes government land. He notes that it took the intervention of the State House Anti-corruption Unit to save Kyarwabuganda land, which the Health Center II is sitting on from grabbers.

Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, the Mbarara City Mayor, says that the failure to open up the boundaries of government land is about to cause bloodshed in the city.

Abdul Karim, the LC I Chairperson of the Kakiika cell, says that they were denied land titles because they were told in 2014 that the land belongs to Uganda Land Board but it is now being targeted by unknown people who claim to have land titles.

Angello Besiga, the senior Personnel officer from the Mbarara Regional Zonal Lands office blames the delayed boundary opening on the lack of funds noting that the Minister made a requisition of 20 million Shillings that is yet to be processed.

During her working visit to Mbarara City in March this year, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba toured government land that is under dispute and directed the commissioner in charge of surveying to open up boundaries of the land, which has never been done. She also directed the opening up of the boundaries of the Muslim land in Nyamitanga and Kashari Block in Mbarara City North.