By Joachim Twino
The 5-day land rights sensitization seminars Buganda Land Board (BLB) had organized in conjunction with Action Aid and the Lands Ministry have come this Friday afternoon come to an end with a crowning event at Nabweru Sub County headquarters.
According to BLB Head Corporate Affairs Simon Kabogoza, the seminars were meant to sensitize people about their land-related rights and duties and this was as part of the activities to mark Kabaka’s 26th coronation anniversary. Closely working with the Wakiso district leadership, BLB took the seminars to five different Sub Counties each taking one full day.
Kabogoza says as BLB they have realized most of the land wrangles result from the fact that both tenants/Bibanja people and landlords sometimes don’t know/stick to their respective rights and duties. Nabweru residents, who received surveying and land-related legal education free of charge from the large team of experts BLB assembled, greatly appreciated the Kabaka for the offer and demanded for more such sensitization seminars.
Tony Kiyita, the Nansana Division Deputy Speaker, implored BLB management to consider sending its experts to regularly attend village meetings so that more residents benefit since many were unable to attend the Friday seminar having fallen at short notice when many had gone to work yet their area has a large concentration of people living on Kabaka’s land (the very reason why BLB management established a vibrant branch there).
Kabogoza said there was nothing to worry about referring them to the area BLB branch office which is daily open from 8-5pm. “You don’t have to travel to Bulange or Muganzirwaza to get similar sensitization like what we have had here today. It’s the same everywhere and gratefully we have a very active office here in your area,” he explained.
Besides the many lawyers and surveyors who addressed the seminar passing on land empowering information to Nabweru residents, BLB’s Community Mobilizer Moses Kizito Gambobbi is among those who sensitized Nabweru residents.
Wishing the seminar occurred earlier, Nansana resident Isaac Semakula (one of the many who spoke during question & answer session) narrated how his father (Mzee GW Kibuka) got emotionally consumed into a land wrangle resulting into him developing hypertension to which he recently succumbed.
That the old man innocently offered the free land he wasn’t using to the area Church of Uganda to be used as a playground for the children at the nearby Church school. In the end the land was fenced off and he no longer had any access.
Semakula says they approached all land relevant offices including Wakiso district, the Lands Ministry and others but didn’t get any help until their father’s condition escalated leading to death recently. He commended BLB for the awareness creation seminars saying they lost their land to the church largely because as a family, they were inadequately informed.
Other residents called on BLB and the Lands Ministry to help in neutralizing land brokers and the Bafere who sometimes broker the sale of the same piece of land multiple times saying they were contributing the greater part of the rampant land wrangles in their area. That some go around impersonating claiming to be children of some big people at Mengo.
The BLB officials said the best way to deflate such thugs is for the residents to shun them and instead make use of the BLB official information channels including directly reaching out to the branches to verify the information. The area LC chairpersons too spoke pleading with BLB to have more seminars to reach more residents especially those who missed.
Kabogoza also explained that contrary to what many are sometimes duped to think, BLB doesn’t issue land titles as that (by law) is exclusively the mandate of the Lands Ministry in the central government. BLB only plays a facilitational role in case those applying for the title are tenants on Kabakas’ land.
He also cautioned people against being complacent upon acquiring a land title because sometimes one might he carrying a fake one thinking its authentic. Solution lies in making use of both BLB and Lands Ministry offices to verify authenticity. Corroborating on what earlier speakers had said, Kabogoza illustrated the importance of having one’s occupancy of the land documented-regardless of whether you are Kibanja holder or one with a title.
Action Aid International’s Xavier Ejoyi, whose protégé Achaloi Jennipher was among those who facilitated at the seminar, said they were proud of the BLB partnership because it had enabled them to deepen awareness of land-related rights among women whose full participation is very vital if Uganda is to achieve inclusive development and growth. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
