By Aggrey Baba
As campaigns for the Local Council one (LC1) elections gain momentum, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has moved to shield Ugandans from possible land fraud and disputes by temporarily stopping campaigning LC1 chairpersons from participating in any land-related transactions, in a directive, issued in a public notice dated July 16, meaning that LC boses seeking re-election or campaigning for office should not witness, endorse, recommend or oversee any land transactions until the elections are done.
The ministry says the decision is a precautionary measure aimed at preserving the integrity of land transactions during the election period, warning that involving candidates in such dealings could expose members of the public to fraud, conflicts of interest and costly disputes.
As a result, the people have been advised not to seek the services of campaigning leaders when buying or selling land, witnessing land agreements, verifying land ownership, resolving boundary matters or undertaking any other transaction that ordinarily requires the involvement of the chairpersons.
Instead, the ministry says anyone with urgent land matters should engage qualified legal practitioners or use other lawful channels until the LC1 electoral process is completed.
The ministry further appealed to the public to remain patient, saying the temporary suspension is intended to protect both buyers and sellers from mistakes that could later result in legal battles or financial losses. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
