Uganda: Nakasongola Land Problem Rises Poverty

from All Africa

The Monitor (Kampala)

Ephraim Kasozi
Nakasongola

Land insecurity in Nakasongola district has lowered production efforts among residents, thereby leading to high poverty levels. According to the district Chairman James Muruli Wandira most people are squatters and because they are not sure of their future on land, production efforts are low.

He told Daily Monitor on Saturday that most of the land is gazetted under the old system of land ownership (Mailo land) and most of the landlords stay in Kampala.

The Mailo Land system existed during the colonial era where highly respected people like chiefs would be allocated land measured in miles.

Such people have since owned that land to date.

Wandira said many people have been evicted by such landlords who sell their land in the villages and make transfers to new owners who claim the land. "The land is fertile for those who practice farming but people are being evicted every now and then," he said.

He said some people had leased parts of public land in the area and later abandoned it but recently they came back and started evicting those who had occupied.

Wandira castigated the land tribunal for not helping the peasants.

"The Tribunal is meant to help peasants access justice but no help is seen," the angry chairman said.

He said the tribunal takes long to decide and that many peasants lose cases with low chances of appealing. "An appeal has to be made in the High Court which is not accessible to the peasants," he claimed.

Wandira, flanked by the district executive committee, said the district has intervened to stop some of the evictions basing on the provisions of the Land Act.

He appealed to the government to make Nakasongola district a beneficiary of the Land Fund. Wandira said the district is being challenged by the lack of a district hospital, which has led to the suffering of many people, especially expectant mothers.

He said the district only has an ill-equipped health centre.

He said the nearest hospital is Kiwoko Hospital, which is 80 kilometres away from the district yet there are no ambulance services.

"Can you imagine a whole district having a health centre as the biggest health unit?" Wandira wondered.