Govt puts 30 caveats on contested Wakiso land

The government has placed 34 caveats on a contested piece of land measuring 1,044.9 acres in Namayumba Sub-county, Wakiso District, which is being contested by family members.

 Mr Moses Ssekitto, the acting principal registrar of land titles in the Ministry of Lands, told Daily Monitor yesterday that all the caveats on the contested Busamba land had been completed and affected.

 “Yes they were completed. They (applicants) can pick a proof from Busiro,”Mr Ssekito said.

 Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba yesterday also confirmed the caveats and assured Bibanja owners of government protection.

 “I have been reliably informed that the Busamba land dispute is now a matter of court and some family members applied for caveats, which have been effected,” Ms Nabakooba said.

 “I want to call upon all the parties involved to be peaceful and wait for the court process. The RDC in Wakiso should work with the police in Kakiri and Namayumba Sub-country to ensure that peace prevails. No resident should be harassed in any way or forced to go into any negotiations without his or her consent. The law and the President’s directives on illegal evictions are clear,” she added.

 Under the laws of Uganda, the minister explained, nonpayment of annual nominal ground rent is the only ground for evicting tenants.

She reiterated that landlords must serve eviction notices to tenants who default on payment after a period of one year to show cause why the tenancy should not be terminated.

 This comes after five aggrieved family members last week asked the Lands ministry to slap a caveat on the contested land that was originally owned by one Gabudyeri Lubajja whom relatives say disappeared in the mid-1980s and is presumed to be dead.

 The caveat was initiated by Ms Josephine Mpamulungi on behalf of the aggrieved family members through her lawyers, M/S Mungoma Justin and Company Advocates.

   Ms Mpamulungi also confirmed to this publication yesterday that the caveats were approved on Tuesday.

 “I take it as success because it will stop people from illegally demarcating the land and selling it to the third party,” she said. Mr Mathias Mulumba Ssegantebuka, the acting administrator of the contested land, said whereas he was excited that the caveats were effected, he noted that it was a short term remedy that would be backed by a temporary court injunction.

 “We now await court’s decision as regards to the temporary injunction tomorrow (today),” she said.

But when contacted yesterday, Mr Richard Ssemitala, one of the administrators of the disputed estate, said it is upon those who put the caveats to answer.

“Caveat so what? I don’t have anything to tell the media because there is nothing you people can do to solve the matter,” Mr Ssemitala said before he hang up. 

Background

The family conflict over the ownership of the land began last year. The five family members had earlier petitioned court challenging the “illegal” subdivision and irregular sale of the land. The contentious estate of late Lubajja covers Busamba, Gayaza, Kanziro, Kabuye, and Kinyika/Kiryankoko, among other villages, and more than 1,000 Bibanja holders are living on it.

Additional reporting by Peter Sserugo