Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba has intervened in a brewing row over a52 acres piece of land in Nsangabwami Village, Kikandwa Sub County in Mityana district. Two families claim ownership of the contested land that has over 50 bibanja holders dwelling on it with farms and homes.
Ms Namatovu Mastula who represented the late George Wilson Lubega (the rightful owner) their father said ever since their father died five years ago, Mzee Mukiibi Katende Ezekia has been terrorising them and threating to evict them from their land. She said Mzee Mukiibi had entered into an agreement with their father to help him process the land title and compensate him with 4acres of land to pay for the expenses since he did not have money to do the process.
“He then took it upon himself to grab the entire land after our father died. He is riding on our poverty to oppress us. We have the land title of this land, let him bring his as well,” she said. But Mzee Mukiibi claimed the late Lubega’s family members asked him to give them money to transfer the land title which he did to assume ownership of 38 acres.
When he was asked to provide the documentation to this effect, Mzee Mukiibi only had photocopy documents to present to the minister which she said were not adding up. Swaib Nyombi the LC.1 Chairman of the village confessed that he did not know about the transactions on the disputed land until Mzee Mukiibi reported the matter to the LCs.
“I suggested to him to buy off these people because they were willing to sell. He does not have original documents to support his ownership of the land.”
The Minister asked Mzee Mukiibi to bring original documents to her office next week and halt all undertakings on the land as the matter is being investigated. “Let us enter a caveat on this land. All we want is fairness and equity. We shall verify these documents from my ministry and subject them to a handwriting expert to establish their authenticity. We are going to look into this matter exhaustively and return in two weeks,” the Minister told the meeting .
Nabakooba cautioned the locals on carrying out land negotiations with people whose names don’t appear on the land titles which makes them lose money to fraudsters “bafelle”. Other administrative directives issued by the Minister to calm nerves included instructing Mzee Mukiibi to withdrawal his private security guards , not to erect any fixtures on the land until investigations are completed.
