Kikuube district leaders excited to get land board
Kikuube – Kikuube district local government has finally received a district land board after struggling for more than three years to process land titles in another district.
Kikuube was carved from Hoima district in 2017 and has been operating for all that time without a land board. Residents have been incurring transport costs while visiting Hoima district to process land titles.
This burden is now history after the Hoima Chief Magistrate Moses Barigeyo on Thursday swore the Kikuube district land board members into office and okayed them to start handling land matters in the district.
The members are Peter Kyamanywa Bebwa (board Chairman) while Sarah Atagwireho, Kyalingonza, Peterson Kyomuhendo, and Muzamil Balihamwe are members.
Bebwa was appointed by the councillors last month, after the Permanent Secretary [PS] Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Dorcas W Okalanyi rejected Ignatius Muganyizi whom the same council had appointed in September last year as the district land board Chairman.
Peter Banura the district Chairman was grateful about the land board, adding that the district had spent more than three years without the board, leading to increased land problems in the district.
He said that as district leaders, they expect the land board members to help the people of Kikuube to get land title lawfully and also to advocate for customary land certificates.
He noted that due to lack of coordination between the Hoima district land board and the area land committee, land grabbers have been taking advantage to process land titles on people’s land.
He noted that this challenge had increased land conflicts and evictions of the poor people from their land in the district.
“The burden of moving to Hoima to process land titles is now over and our land board is going to start its work and we expect the members to follow the land laws as they execute their duties.”
He advised the board that they should always endeavour to make a thorough research before processing any title to avoid the previous mistakes.
Nicolas Kiiza, the Secretary for Production, Marketing and Natural Resources called on the land board members to exhibit high integrity and transparency as they handle land issues.
He noted that many people are settling on land titles that were obtained illegally by the tycoons, adding that they expect the land board to work with relevant authorities to ensure the cancellation of all illegal titles in the district.
He added that they have hope that this land board is going to protect the rights of
poor people to have land rights by guiding them on how to process the titles. “Land titles are known to be for the rich but I have a hope that this time even the poor will be able to process and attain a land title without frustrations” he emphasized.
Alex Byasi, the District Councillor for Kabwoya South sub-county who led the petitioners against Muganyizi commended the Ministry of Lands for listening to the public outcry and rejected the name of Muganyzi. He challenged the board members to work with the area land committees if they are to address the challenge of illegal land titles.
He explained that land grabbers have been conniving with the area land committees at sub-county to forge signatures of the residents to process illegal land titles because the area land committees have been working in isolation.
He also warned boards against being compromised by the rich to go against their integrity to avoid previous mistakes adding that if the members mess up, they will reject them the way they rejected Muganyizi.
The board chair 65-year-old Bebwa, a resident of Muhwiju in Bugambe, is a professional surveyor with a diploma in surveying and mapping. He has promised to carry out his duties professionally to ensure his board serves the people to their expectations.
He noted that the issue of corruption will not be tolerated and vowed to work with the district leadership to promote land rights in the district. He noted that his first task will be sensitizing the community about the land laws and to apply for land title.
He also promised to engage the sub-county area land committees to empower them on their roles since many are ignorant about them and also promised to advocate for the allowances of the land committees. He explained that area land committees are always compromised because they are not facilitated.
Bebwa, who has been working as a private surveyor, also served as land officer for Mitiyana and Mubende in 1994. From 1994 to 2000, he worked as Land Officer for Masindi, Hoima and Kibaale district.
He also worked in the Ministry of Lands, mapping division Entebbe.
Peter Kugonza
https://thecooperator.news/ministry-of-lands-rejects-kikuube-district-land-board-chairperson/
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