Uganda: Nantaba Lands Committee Gets Boost in Next Budget

By Moses Mulondo

Fighting land grabbing and illegal evictions will be a priority for the Lands ministry in the next financial year.

Lands, Housing and Urban development minister, Daudi Migereko, said his ministry will give all the necessary support to the President’s initiative of fighting land grabbing and evictions which have become rampant.

The minister made the remarks while presiding over the installation of the new president of Rotary Club of Kololo, Paul Bwogere who took over from Patrick Ssemogerere.

Migereko admitted that land grabbing and illegal evictions is wide spread problem especially in the central region.

“A big chunk of our next budget will be geared towards boosting efforts by the land committee the President appointed which is headed by my deputy minister Aidah Nantaba. I encourage all stakeholders to give that committee all the necessary support,” Migereko elaborated.

On the misconception that the committee takes the law in its hands, Migereko said, “That is not true. In fact apart from the minister Nantaba and honorable Rosemary Sseninde, all the other people on the committee are lawyers. The purpose of that inclusion was to ensure they operate within the confines of the law.”

Migereko said in the next financial year, his ministry will give more priority to the Nantaba committee and other efforts that include sensitization of the public about the land Amendment Act 2010 to curb land grabbing and evictions.

Nantaba halted the operations of the committee after police and land officers failed to cooperate with the committee in the execution of the work.

Some committee members claim having received death threats from the culprits.

Migereko said investigations are being carried out and a report containing the strength and challenges the committee is faced with will be released.

Minister Nantaba heads the committee. Other members include; Wakiso Woman Member of Parliament Rosemary Sseninde, Captain Steven Mugarura (UPDF legal department), Mulinde Mukasa (Commissioner Land administration in the Ministry of Lands), William Kototyo (Commissioner Land Protection Police Unit) and Ronald Sekagya from the Judicial Service Commission.

In the framework paper for the next budget, the ministry of lands, housing and urban development has been allocated sh14.979b. Uganda Land Commission will get sh11.559b.

 Vision: New Vision

Posted by admin on Jun 15 2013. Filed under African News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry