The residents fear that being part of the city could affect their ownership to customary land, a developement which exposes them to land grabbers. Others fear that their buildings were not planned for the city, fearing that the elevation is pushing them into a status to which they do not belong and that they will most likely be subjected to taxes.
The row between the Diocese and the residents has been developing silently and escalated on June 1, after Edward Kagoro, the Bunyoro-Kitara diocese land chairperson issued a notice to the residents saying that the land belongs to the church.
The leaders and residents have asked the President to act tough in 2019 and ensure laws are respected. They also appealed to Museveni to stop the Police from escorting landlords to evict tenants.
Odomaro Mucunguzi, a resident of Nyarungwe village in Kaharo parish, died on Sunday, two weeks after his release from Ndorwa Government Prison, where he served a five year jail term for murder. Mucunguzi had been convicted for the murder of an area resident only identified as Karama, with whom they had a land dispute in 2012.
Two houses along Lunyo road in Entebbe municipality were also knocked down by court bailiffs. Thirteen families are facing eviction from Bugonga landing site in Entebbe Division A.
According to Amos Banyenzaki, one of the area leaders says that the family members after drinking porridge, started complaining of stomach pains and suddenly started vomiting and developed running stomach.
Hans Peter Christophersen, the Trade and Energy Counselor, at The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala says that greedy individuals have inflated land costs and demanded huge compensation rates in the Albertine Graben making it difficult for planned projects to take off.
Godfrey Kayemba, the Masaka Mayor says they agreed to resettle the vendors in the Childrens Park until the construction work is complete. He says they wanted the vendors out of the site so that by the time procurement of the contractor is done, the place is free.
The commission headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, will over the next one week review the effectiveness of law, policies and processes of land acquisition, land administration, land management and land registration in the sub-region.
Police in Kabale are holding an 80-year-old man for allegedly spearing his son to death over land disputes. Charles Katarakwenda, a resident of Nyakiharo cell, Mwanjari ward, Southern Division in Kabale Municipality, is alleged to have speared Andrew Ndyareeba who was aged 42.
Luweero District Education Officer Florence Bbosa says that the schools got the land as donations from landlords, some of whom died before processing land titles for them. In such cases, relatives to the deceased have taken advantage of the loophole to sell part of the land on which the said schools sit.
In his 2016 Auditor General Report, the Auditor General, John Muwanga notes that Sembabule district doesnt have titles for all Sub county headquarters, health centers, bore holes, Valley tanks and buildings. According to the Auditor General, the absence of titles for land hosting key public assets exposes them to grabbing.
The ten-acre piece of land at the heart of contention is located in Naitakwae along Moroto- Soroti road in Nadunget Sub County. Councillors claim they were sidelined and were only surprised to learn that money had been paid for the said land. Joseph Otita, the Secretary for production says council cant endorse receipt of the 93 million shillings since they do not know where it is.
On Tuesday, a team of Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF officials led by Major General James Mugira, the Director General of the National Enterprise Corporation visited the disputed area and conducted an Ariel survey using UPDF helicopters.
About 60 households were forcefully evicted from the land measuring about 10 acres adjacent to Soroti district last Saturday. The land in question is under contention between Soroti University and residents.
