Minister Nabakooba Eases Tension on Luweero Family Contested Land

Lands, Housing and Urban Development Minister, Judith Nabakooba, has intervened in a hotly contested land dispute in Manyama Village, Zirobwe Sub-County, Luweero District where two families are at loggerheads. 

Nabakooba who was addressing the families under dispute in a meeting she convened in the village under question on May 12, directed that all activities on the disputed land be stopped until court makes a final ruling on the land. 
“I have since learnt that this matter is before the courts of law. All activities on the disputed land need to stop until the court makes a final ruling on the matter. All the wire mesh on the land needs to be pulled down since the perpetrator did not have a court order to do what they did,” she said. 
Nabakooba also re echoed what the law says in regards to Bibanja settlers saying it is unlawful for a person to chase people off the land after buying it, most especially those who have settled on the land for years.
“The law is very clear on what needs to be done when Bibanja settlers are involved in the land dispute. There are four ways such an issue can be resolved. Both parties can choose to partition the land depending on how they see fit, the settlers can choose to buy the part where they settle, the landlord may choose to buy the settlers out and if all fails, then the settlers can pay land rent tax to the landlord,” she said. 
She added: “Just because someone has bought the land, it does not mean that people he has found on the land be chased away. The law is very clear in this case.”
*Genesis of the land dispute*
According to Lubowa Benjamin, the local council chairperson for Manyama village, Zirobwe sub-county, the over 600 acres of land was earlier bought by the late Soleiman Kiwala’s family from the late Bajejere Omunyenya more than three decades ago. 
Lubowa further narrates that the grandchildren of both families are now at loggerheads following Bajejere’s family claiming ownership of the land allegedly bought by Kiwala decades ago.
“I have grown up in this area throughout my entire life. This land was bought by the late Soleiman Kiwala. I have been in this area since 1956 when I was born,” he said. 
“The great grandchildren of Bajejere approached me trying to convince me to issue a statement indicating that the land belongs to them and not to the Kiwala family.  I stood my ground because I knew they were lying so they decided to use security forces. They threatened to kill me if I did not heed to their wishes.”
Lubowa however says a man only identified as Lutagambwa is behind the land dispute. 
According to him, Lutagambwa had promised to buy off the family land (the sold land) from the Bajejere family. 
“I later came to learn Lutagambwa was part of the problem. He had promised to buy the land from them. I have been threatened on several occasions by the Bajejere family. We want the minister to help us stop these land frauds once and for all,” he said.
The family accuses Lutagambwa of destroying their crops and beating them up while chasing them off their land. 
“We have been pushed off our very own land by that man called Lutagambwa. Some of our farm crops have been destroyed and we have been beaten and chased away from our land,” Badru Wakabo, a Kiwala family member, said.