Museveni signs off Land Bill

Buganda Kingdom was last evening still adamant it would not respect the controversial Land Amendment Act 2010, even after President Museveni yesterday signed it off to become law.
But Mr Museveni who assented to the Bill from his country home in Rwakitura was unmoved by the controversy the new law has attracted, saying he is happy with the amendment because it will protect people from evictions.
“The President said he does not support taxing idle land, something that is being talked about by some people,” said a State House statement, sent to Daily Monitor last evening.
He signed the Bill in the company of members of the National Bibanja Owners Association.
But Buganda Kingdom Information Minister Charles Peter Mayiga said Ugandans opposed to the new law should not lose hope “as an opportunity will present itself for the law to be amended or even deleted at the right time”.
“President [Idi] Amin introduced the Land Reform Decree in 1975 but 20 years later it was thrown out. People should not lose sleep over this law,” he said
Mr Mayiga said Mengo presented its legitimate position to Parliament on why they are completely opposed to the Bill “and we cannot deviate from that position”.
Buganda Kingdom provided the fiercest opposition to the Bill, introduced to Parliament three years ago. And when it was passed by Parliament on November 26, 2009, the Kingdom Prime Minister, Mr John Baptist Walusimbi, issued a declaration, saying Buganda would not respect the new piece of legislation and would continue its sensitisation about its negative content.
Mr Mayiga’s deputy, Mr Medard Lubega, said; “I can speak with confidence that this law is not in the best interests of Ugandans. It is his (the President’s) law.”
“Pontius Pilate danced to the tune of the gallery. In the end he had to wash his hands and assured himself that he was washing himself clean,” he added.
At yesterday’s signing ceremony, President Museveni criticised those opposed to the new law, saying socio-economic changes will come through education and not through financial coercion.
He thanked members of the government Mobilisation team led by Maj. Jacob Asiimwe, present at the function, for sensitising the masses about the need for the new law.
“The team was appointed by the President after forces opposed to the amendment went to the public spreading untrue and ill intentioned propaganda that the new law was a ploy to grab land from sections of people in Buganda,” the statement said.
The new law will hand down a seven-year jail sentence or a fine of Shs1.9 million, or both penalties, to any individual who evicts or attempts to evict tenants without order of court. The new law will offer tenants a grace period of six months before an eviction order can be effected.
The Bill also empowers the Lands Minister to determine ground rent within six months after district land boards have failed to do so.