Banyoro disagree with govt over compensation of ‘Baganda’ absent landlords

KAKUMIRO – A group of activists under the umbrella Mubende Bunyoro Committee [MBC] are not happy that government decided to compensate ‘Baganda’absent landlords instead of the Banyoro who are the rightful owners of the land in the former lost counties of Bugangaizi and Buyaga in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.

During the celebration to mark the National Resistance Movement [NRM] government 37th anniversary at Kakyeka playground in Kakumiro district, President Museveni handed over 2,700 land titles to different bibanja holders in the two counties.

The land titles were processed by the Ministry of Lands after the government compensated the absent landlords through the Land Fund.

Bugangaizi and Buyaga counties are administrative units located in Kagadi, Kakumiro, and Kibaale districts in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.

BC is a pressure group that was formed by a section of Banyoro in 1918 to fight for the return of Omukama Kabalega from exile and return of Bugangaizi and Buyaga counties that had been transferred to the rival Buganda Kingdom by the British colonialists.

According to MBC leaders, the 1900 Buganda Agreement had seven Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom counties annexed by the British and given to Buganda Kingdom as a reward for collaboration to extend the former’s rule in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.

. They include;  Bugangaizi,  Buyaga, Buwekula,  Singo, Bulemezi, Buruli, and Bugerere But only  Bugangaizi and  Buyaga counties were returned through The lost counties referendum of November 1964.

Speaking during a press conference in Hoima City days ago, MBC senior mobiliser Livingstone Bakumira said that as Banyoro they are not happy with the way government is handling the land issue in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.

He noted that their forefathers lost their lives fighting for the land rights of Banyoro. Unfortunately, he said, much as Bugangaizi and Buyaga were returned to Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, land remained in the hands of the Baganda absent landlords whom he claims government compensated.

He said compensating Baganda absent landlords for the land in the two counties is an injustice to Banyoro.

“We are not against issuing land titles to the Kingdom subjects but we expected government to compensate Banyoro who are the owners of the land,” he said.

MBC chairman, Joseph Serumaga Kazairwe said that few Banyoro received the land titles, adding that a big number of the documents went to the immigrants who occupied the land.

He expressed concern that Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I has not come out to speak on the matter, adding that  Banyoro are suffering from the loss of their land.

MBC secretary General, John Monday said unresolved land matters in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom are forcing Banyoro from the lost counties to demand the formation of their separate Kingdom to be able to solve what they call historical injustices.

https://thecooperator.news/another-group-demand-secession-from-bunyoro-kitara-kingdom/

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