Army, leaders clash over land

“When I brought this matter to their (Army) attention during the exercise, they claimed that since UPDF is part of government, there was no crime committed in using the land for the good of the country,” Mr Kakooza Matia told Daily Monitor in an interview last week.

According to Mr Kakooza, the disputed land has been used for a public cemetery since 1911.

“As Kimaanya-Kyabakuza Division, we are looking at that land as an alternative for the Masaka hospital cemetery, which is currently filled up,” he said, adding: “Since the regional referral hospital did not have enough land for expansion, the Armoured Brigade should not grab the cemetery land without following the law.”

Last week, a team of surveyors from the Mbuya-based military land board led by Ms Monis Kiconco, started opening boundaries of the Armoured Brigade land.

Capt Fred Turyahabwe, the Armoured Brigade spokesperson, denied the allegations, saying the Force was only opening its boundaries.
“The Armoured Brigade has its land and there is no need for us to encroach on other people’s land,” he told Daily Monitor in a telephone interview.

He, however, declined to comment on the alleged encroachment on the cemetery land even when the mark stones exist.
The Masaka Municipality physical planner, Mr Martin Kigozi, said the land for the army is well demarcated and wondered why they are claiming the cemetery land.

“In our plan as Masaka Municipal Council, the land under contention was earmarked by the colonial masters as a cemetery aware that time will come when it will be used for that purpose,” he said.
He insisted that whereas the army is part of government, it is not mandated whatsoever to change the purpose of land without following the law.

In case of any need to change the land use under a local government, the procedure is that the council under the guidance of its physical planner, recommends to the Lands ministry for an appropriate action.

“For this matter, however, we have not made such a recommendation to change the user of a piece of land meant for the cemetery to be occupied by the army for any reason,” Mr Kigozi said. Even the locals were shocked on seeing the military surveying team opening the land boundaries which they knew for long as being a cemetery.

Mr Yusuf Mawanda, an area resident, told the team that even where the Brigade quarter guard was placed, remains private land.
He claimed that he was part of a group of people that helped in constructing some of the buildings now in the barracks and guided many officers about the boundaries of the barracks.

“But they [army], don’t want to listen to any person and they do things their way. The community surrounding the barracks is now on tension,” Mr Mawanda said.

Warning
But Ms Kiconco warned residents and leaders against blocking the army from opening the land boundaries.
“We are just opening boundaries after which we shall compile a report and that report will be public,” she said.

The Armoured Brigade is one of the specialised units of the UPDF Land Forces with its headquarters at Kasajjagirwa barracks outside Masaka Town. It has several tank battalions, a maintenance unit and a training school at Armoured Warfare Training School –Kalama as its organic elements. The Brigade also has attached elements like the Guard unit among others.

Eviction
Last year, the army issued an eviction notice to more than 200 residents in Lukaya Town Council, reasoning had they had illegally occupied the land.

The controversial land, measuring 463.43 hectares, is part of the Bulakati Army Airstrip land and it comprises Mwota Block 181, Kirinnya Block 184, Lukaya Block 185, Kalungi Block 145 and Kawanda Block 146.
In 2015, government also asked residents in five villages in Bukakkata Sub-county in Masaka District to relocate to other areas to pave way for re-establishment of a military training base and an airstrip.

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