By Aggrey Baba
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has vowed to resolve the long-time land dispute affecting thousands of residents in Kasokoso-Kiganda, located in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.
The President made the pledge while addressing a large crowd from the area during his Parish Development Model (PDM) assessment tour in Wakiso. Residents, many of whom are from the ghetto community, turned up in big numbers hoping to find a solution to the land crisis that has left over 20,000 people at risk of eviction.
According to Museveni, this was the first time he was hearing about the Kasokoso land, despite being previously aware of nearby land issues in Bukasa. He promised to study the matter thoroughly and provide answers within six weeks.
“I’m going to study the issue of the land. Within one and a half months, I’ll have resolved it,” he assured the locals.
The matter was brought to the President’s attention by the NRM Chairperson for Kira Municipality, Mr. Muyanja Umar, who said several entities, including Uganda Police, National Housing, and private individuals, are all claiming ownership of the 258-acre land.
Mr. Muyanja noted that some families had already been forcefully evicted and were now living in churches and mosques.
Residents also raised concerns over the mismanagement of government programs such as PDM and Emyooga. Ms. Namutebi Doreen, a resident of Kireka, complained that despite forming SACCOs in their parishes, funds were being diverted to relatives and friends of officials, leaving genuine beneficiaries stranded.
“There’s too much misuse. We try to organize, but the money ends up with people who weren’t even involved,” she told the President.
Museveni responded by calling for full transparency in how SACCOs are run, warning that these schemes risk collapsing if locals don’t take ownership. “
“The SACCO should be managed by the people themselves. Everyone in the parish must know how much has come in and how it’s being shared,” he said, adding that in order to get a clear picture of what is happening on the ground, he would send Hon. Ssozi Galabuzi (the National PDM Coordinator) to inspect the structures and processes in Kasokoso.
To offer immediate relief, the President donated UGX 30 million to the Kasokoso SACCO and promised to give UGX 100 million to each SACCO in Kira Municipality. President Museveni also took the opportunity to speak bluntly to the residents about their political choices, saying some of the problems in the area were made worse by opposition Members of Parliament who, after being voted into office, had done little to help.
“You voted for people who have no interest in your welfare. When they get salaries, they forget you,” Museveni told the crowd, bringing to life an African proverb that “when someone hangs himself, you don’t cry for them.”
Ghetto leaders present at the meeting welcomed the President’s remarks. Mr. Ivan Nyombi, the coordinator of the Kira Ghetto Structure, said it was the first time they were being included in government planning. “
“Government funds have always passed us by. But today, we feel seen. At least NRM is now listening,” he said, while Mr. Erias Ssentaayi added that ghetto residents who support NRM often face discrimination, claiming that during the 2021 elections, he was even chased out of his home for his political beliefs.
The meeting was part of the president’s five-day PDM and wealth creation tour across Wakiso District, aimed at boosting local economic development and empowering ordinary Ugandans to participate in national transformation. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
