Authorities halt activities on disputed Church land
A section of the wall fence around Church land at Nakanyonyi Village in Mukono District, which was pulled down by individuals who encroached on the land last week. PHOTO/JESSICA SABANO
What you need to know:
Security agencies also called on diocesan leaders to register all those who claim to be sitting tenants so that the land conflict can be settled.
Authorities in Mukono District have, with immediate effect, halted construction of new structures on a disputed piece of land at Nakanyonyi Village, Nakifuma-Naggalama Town Council.
The land measuring 400 acres pits Mukono Diocese against 1,000 sitting tenants who claim to have settled in the area for more than 30 years.
The Mukono Resident District Commissioners (RDC), Ms Fatuma Ndisaba, said construction of new structures was halted as they try to defuse escalating tension between sitting tenants and the diocese which claims ownership of the land.
“Nobody is allowed to either sell off this piece of land or carry out any other activities on it such as constructing new houses,” Ms Ndisaba said in an interview on Sunday.
This, according to Ms Ndisaba, was one of the resolutions taken during a meeting of security authorities, residents and Mukono diocesan leaders at Nakanyonyi last week.
Ms Ndisaba said sitting tenants are also barred from moving with sharp objects such as machetes. She added that Naggalama Police Station has been directed to ensure security in the area.
“You cannot win or come to a conclusion when one is attacking the other. We have asked sitting tenants to put the machetes down and get involved in negotiations,” Ms Ndisaba said.
Security agencies also called on diocesan leaders to register all those who claim to be sitting tenants so that the land conflict can be settled.
The Mukono Diocese spokesperson, Mr Derrick Kaddu, said they are going to kick off registration of all bibanja holders (sitting tenants) and see whether it is possible to compensate some who have settled on the land for a long time and leave or allow them regularise their tenancy .
“We possess documents that show that we own the land. We want the sitting tenants to bring their documents and we compare,” he said.
Last week, Mukono Diocese leaders suspended all activities including church services and factory activities after unknown people attacked and pulled down a section of the wall fence erected around the disputed land.
At the beginning of this month, unknown machete-wielding assailants attacked Glovers Wilcox School Mission and Evangelism on the disputed land and injured two tutors - Samuel Kamuze and Herbert Mwene.
Successive attacks on diocesan institutions in Nakanyonyi are blamed on a long-standing land dispute between the Church and residents.
Attacks
In 2016, angry tenants attempted to harm a delegation of 35 bishops led by the former Archbishop Stanley Ntagali as they inspected another piece of land in Ntawo Village in Mukono Diocese. After the inspection of the land ended, a group of residents, who were meeting at a nearby bar, confronted the prelates, hurled insults at them and threatened to lynch them. Police swiftly intervened and dispersed the mob.
