Bunyangabu: Museveni cautions govt officials over mishandling PDM funds

BUNYANGABU – President Museveni has cautioned government officials over mishandling Parish Development Model [ PDM ] funds, saying the money is meant to facilitate the poor households in the country to get out of the subsistence economy to the money economy.

Museveni’s message was delivered by Prime Minister, Robbinah Nabanja on Saturday while officiating the handover of over 4,000 land titles to the people of Bunyangabu district.

Museveni said government is now freeing land from disputes such as multiple rights and expects PDM funds to facilitate bonafide occupants to use the land freely to get out of subsistence economy.

He said it is very important to address issues of multiple rights on land to fight poverty, promote food security and address other issues like land management in both rural and urban areas.

“This programme under land fund goes hand in hand with PDM and that should motivate you to use your land productively. This will also stop none evictions. The idea now is to grow improved and first maturing cash crops so that you join the cash economy,” he said.

He said this program under land fund will continue until when all land conflicts in the country are addressed.

He appealed to those who received land titles not to practice land fragmentation as he has always guided but should instead share what comes out of the land.

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba said as government they are addressing land disputes and land tenure security.

“We are trying to handle the issue of multiple interests on a piece of land. We want the bonafide and the lawful occupants to get titles in the country. We are beginning but we are going to roll out this programme in the entire country,” she said.

She said  4,454 certificates processed had already been transferred to the names of beneficiaries including 92 institutions.

“We are trying to achieve land tenure security by giving titles to bonafide and lawful occupants through use of the Land Fund and this has been achieved through Uganda Land Commission [ULC],” she said.

The Acting secretary ULC, Andrew Nyombi said in 2009 and 2011, ULC purchased the two blocks of land -block 44 plot 2 in Kibiito town council and block 32 plot 1 in Nyakigumba town council respectively in Bunyangabu district for people who now have security of tenure.

The State minister for Gender and Culture Peace, Regis Mutuuzo said more than 50 percent of land in Bunyangabu district is in the hands of mailo land owners who are also absentee landlords.

She said Bunyangabu is known for its high productivity in agriculture and its hardworking people.

“Bunyangabu is a food basket for Uganda. More than 150 trucks full of matooke leave this district every day. But we are squatters on absentee landlords land but government also made a law to protects and landlords cannot evict us without protection from government,” she said.

Mutuuzo said that the main town where the district headquarters are located is less developed because land has been in the hands of the mailo land owners who have not allowed squatters to construct permanent houses.

Selevestry Nyakiru who is one of the beneficiaries on block 44, said he was happy to receive a title for the land he has occupied courtesy of the government.

https://thecooperator.news/banyoro-disagree-with-govt-over-compensation-of-bagandaabsent-landlords/

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