Over 1,000 villagers in Kikuube district in danger of losing land to grabbers
KIKUUBE-More than1, 000 families from six villages in Kikuube district have petitioned Lands Minister, Judith Nabakoba to intervene and revoke three fraudulent land titles that are in the hands of land grabbers believed to be very rich.
The affected residents from the villages of Ndongo, Kisoba, Kahara, Nyanseke, Nyakabaale, and Hohwa villages, in Kaseeta parish, Kabwoya lower Sub-county want to rescue their community land measuring 501 hectares.
The families in the six villages say their families have occupied the said land since the 1930s and are wondering how the land grabbers titled the land without their knowledge.
According to the residents, the titles processed and acquired in March 2021, are registered in the names of Amos Munsiime Kurotaro and Gideon Tumwebaze, Sarah Mbabazi and Benon Tulinawe, and Matayo Butere and Aidah Bandonda.
Elias Bin Kalili, the LCI Chairperson of Hohwa village has urged government to intervene and investigate the circumstances under which the tycoons acquired the titles without the consent of the residents.
In their petition dated October 12, 2022, the over 1,000 aggrieved residents want the minister to help cancel the land titles acquired illegally.
Deo Asaba, 57, a resident of Kisoba village, said that he was born and raised in the area, arguing that those claiming their central land are non-residents and unknown to them.
He noted they got to know of their land being titled after a new claimant started opening boundaries.
Badru Asiimwe, a resident of Ndongo village wonders how people who are not known to them would claim the land he and others have occupied for decades.
He said that the residents were living in uncertainty and as a result, many have abandoned carrying out developments on the land.
Fabiano Imaniraguha, the Kaseeta parish councilor said the discovery of oil in Bunyoro Sub-region has increased the grabbing of people’s land. He wants government to help the poor in Bunyoro acquire free land titles, saying it is the only way land grabbers and speculators will be checked.
He said residents are living in fear that the land grabbers could sell their land to an investor who in turn could evict them yet they have nowhere else they can shift to.
He added: “The residents are no longer using the land. Yes, they haven’t ordered us to vacate the land but when you hear what is happening in other areas in the district, we have a reason to fear and so we are requesting government to cancel the land titles to restore our hope.”
Gideon Tumwebaze, one of the title owners, told this reporter in a telephone interview that he genuinely processed and acquired his land title after following all the legal processes.
He explained that he processed the freehold land title in 2020 with the help of Kikkube district land board and Kiziranfumbi Sub-county area land committee.
Vincent Apha Opio, the Kabwoya Lower district councilor, who doubles as the Kikuube district vice chairperson expressed concern over the increasing land conflicts between the poor and rich, adding such conflicts are turning into a security threat.
He called on the residents to remain calm, saying that as leaders they were doing all it takes to have the illegal titles in the hands of land grabbers canceled.
https://thecooperator.news/more-than-1000-households-face-eviction-from-their-land-in-masindi/
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