By Our Reporters
Some last year, opinion leaders like Sheikh Nuhu Muzaata, Sam Mayanja, Tamale Mirundi and others opened a curious war on Kabaka’s land management agency Buganda Land Board (BLB) demonizing the Katikkiro and other officials for introducing the Kyapa mungalo campaign that encouraged tenants on Kabaka’s land to register and have their land surveyed and eventually be issued with lease titles. The campaign was remarkable for the massive discount at which the tenants’ titles would be issued. Under the leadership of their thick-skinned Managing Director David Kyewalabye Male, the BLB officials soldiered on and tenants, having been sufficiently sensitized by their own experiences on the benefits of titling one’s land, kept a deaf ear and responded to the mass titling campaign with enthusiasm because the cost effectiveness and affordability that came with the Kyapa mungalo campaign was simply unprecedented. Today, barely a year later, there are clear indicators the campaign was worth it as those who attended the Monday ceremony at Bulange-based Masengere Plaza, which houses BLB head offices, confirmed for themselves. At a glamorously-organized ceremony, hundreds turned up and cheerfully witnessed over 200 fellow tenants on Kingdom land receive their dully processed land titles as a result of the successful conclusion of a process that started under Kyapa mungalo campaign.
WHAT HAPPENED?
At hand to preside over the ceremony was Kabaka’s young brother Prince David Wassajja Kintu and the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister for Lands, Agriculture and Environment Hamis Kakomo. Flanking the duo was BLB CEO Kyewalabye-Male who came with other BLB officials. Speeches were made; all demonstrating Buganda Kingdom’s resilience to overlook malicious criticisms and carry on with prudent land management for the good of all Kabaka’s people. The crowd was spontaneously cheerful clearly testifying to how deeply the community had embraced BLB’s Kyapa mungalo initiative.
WHO SAID WHAT?
Kakomo, who represented his boss the overall Kingdom lands Minister Eng Martin Kasekende, urged Ugandans to safeguard their land by obtaining authentic documentation as always encouraged by BLB. Besides issuing over 200 lease titles to tenants on Kabaka’s land, Kakomo who also served as Chief Guest, said that leasing is an old practice done by all landlords and advised all people with potential to obtain titles on Kabaka’s land to continue disregarding naysayers and apply for them. He enumerated benefits of possessing titled land which include security of tenure, ability to acquire credit from financial institutions and avoidance of land conflicts since titled land is clearly demarcated. The title is also conclusive and unchallengeable proof of ownership. “Buganda Land Board does not print titles; only government does. BLB just facilitates title processing by following all legal procedures,” said Kakomo to an audience which included Wakiso district LC5 Chairman Matia Lwanga Bwanika and Makindye Ssaabagabo Municipality MP Emmanuel Ssempala Kigozi Ssajjalyabeene among other elected leaders. Also in attendance were Busiro County Chief Ssebwana Kiberu Kisiriza and Mukono County’s Ssekiboobo Alex Kigongo. Speaking during the same ceremony, Prince David Wassajja supplemented on Kakomo’s submissions by applauding BLB for professionally managing Kingdom land.
He made reference to prior observations publicly made by officials at Justice Catherine Bamugemereire’s land Commission of Inquiry where BLB prudent land management practices and work methods have repeatedly been validated. “Please stop relying on the old system of sale agreements and verbal agreements over land. Today everything is about documentations,” he said. “How are you going to attract investment on your land if you have no land title? How are you going to get money from the bank to develop your land without a title?” Prince Wassajja wondered. He, therefore, urged people to stop listening to those demonizing BLB efforts aimed at increasing the number of people with titled land and instead proceed to get titles because in the 21st century way of doing things, land documentation is a basic requirement and not a luxury anymore. “We would also want to thank Buganda Land Board for the transparency they have introduced in land management. We have seen many duty bearers being found culpable by the land inquiry but BLB has made us proud,” he added.
Speaking to the same audience, BLB Managing Director David Kyewalabye-Male equated the acquisition of land title to getting a degree of education. He said that while other land transactions may be permissible by law, the most important one is a title. He also made reference to various financial institutions such as Finance Trust, Centenary Bank and Housing Finance Bank that have running partnerships with BLB in its Lease Access Financing Initiative. Through this initiative, people without financial capabilities to title their land are enabled to apply to a financial institution of their choice and get loans to get their land titled and pay later.
The glamorous ceremony attracted hundreds of tenants on Kabaka’s land who expressed relief and joy for finally obtaining their titles. Most of the titles handed out during the Masengere event were a product of last year’s Kyapa mungalo campaign in which BLB sensitized and encouraged tenants to apply for and obtain lease titles at a much subsidized fee. In 2015, BLB also carried out a mass registration and survey campaign in which over 130,000 people registered their bibanja and another 21,000 registered to have the same surveyed. Generally in Uganda, for a long time, the process of acquiring a land title has always been a long one, prompting many people to give up. Sometimes it takes over a year largely due to delays caused by inefficiencies relating personnel inadequacies in central government land offices. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755.
