Entebbe Land Wrangles Worry Leaders, Duty Bearers

The ever increasing land wrangles in Entebbe municipality are worrying the local leaders. Two vehicles have been burnt over the past two weeks over land grabbing.

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. 

The proposed evictions come a few days after three people were injured in a battle to save two acres of land along Kasenyi road in Katabi town council. A taxi was burnt to ashes during the clashes. 

There are also land wrangles on 60 plots of land in Kigungu landing sites and Manyago villages. The contested land was leased out to different people between 2003 to 2011. 

Richard Ssekyondwa, the Deputy Mayor Entebbe Municipality, says the plots were allocated to people on an understanding that they would be able to develop them within a specific period. 

However, only a handful of the beneficiaries have been able to develop plots in the first five years as stipulated in their agreements. 

Now, the Municipal officials led by the Deputy Mayor, Richard Ssekyondwa want all stakeholders to design a new policy consonant to the land act that would help guide residents on Land ownership.

"We have people claiming ownership on several plots of land within the area. The more they claim, the more people engage in confrontation and this leaves many injured. As Leaders, we need draft policies that would enable society deal with the land issues in the area,” he said.

Last week, Police arraigned three people in court for their involvement in the land skirmishes along Buwaya rise in Entebbe municipality. The Kampala Metropolitan Area Police Spokesperson, Luke Oyowesigire, says the suspects were charged with malicious damage of property. 

The outgoing Deputy Resident District Commissioner in charge of Entebbe, Rose Kirabira says the challenges and anomalies in the Land tenure system in Entebbe are a result of ignorance among the occupants. 

Kirabira wants the local authorities to sensitise residents on different land tenure systems in the area to avoid further conflicts.