Minister Babalanda warns Busoga RDCs over land deals
Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda. PHOTO | FILE | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The Minister said her office has received reports that some RDCs, RCCs and their deputies, before handling disputes concerning land conflicts, ask for "facilitation" from both sides which is a form of corruption
The Minister for the Presidency, Ms Milly Babalanda, has warned Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs) and their deputies against involving themselves in rampant deals with land grabbers in the Busoga sub-region.
The Minister said her office has received reports that some RDCs, RCCs and their deputies, before handling disputes concerning land conflicts, ask for "facilitation" from both sides which is a form of corruption.
“I am also told that before handling issues concerning land conflicts, you ask for facilitation from both sides. I don’t have evidence on this allegation, but we are going to hold public barazas in districts and we shall find out,” Ms Babalanda said on Tuesday while closing a two-day training workshop of RDCs, RCCs and their deputies from Busoga Sub-region in Jinja City.
She noted that some land grabbers work closely with judicial officials to carry out evictions, yet the RCCs and RDCs have powers to stop such evictions as directed by the President.
“Don’t be compromised by the corrupt land grabbers and judicial officers to carry out evictions. You have the powers to stop such evictions,” she added.
Ms Babalanda said the rampant and violent land grabbing cases in the Busoga sub-region have resulted in loss of lives. She singled out Jinja City and Jinja District Land Committee as some of the actors in the land-grabbing deals.
These, she said, are leasing land, and renewing expired leases by issuing out new land titles on the Custodian Board property.
The Minister directed Jinja RCC, Mr Darius Nandinda, to investigate the matter and make a report to the Anti-Corruption Unit.
Mr Nandinda, however, said some of the issues are "mere allegations", especially about issuing land titles on Custodian Board property.
The Namayingo deputy RDC, Mr Solomon Baleke, said the workshop has empowered them with skills on how to handle land disputes in the communities.
The workshop also attracted Regional Internal Security Officers, and District Internal Security officers, who were urged to work closely with RDCs and RCCs to monitor government projects.
