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Uganda: Balaalo Must Leave Buliisa Immediately, Says Museveni
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The Monitor (Kampala)
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Risdel Kasasira & Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa
Kampala
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday directed that the pastoralists commonly known as Balaalo should immediately leave Buliisa District.
The President who was launching the Land Use Policy that guides land use in Uganda at Hotel Africana, said authorities should immediately enforce the eviction of pastoralists who claim to have bought the parcels of land they occupy.
His directive comes after the pastoralists lost a crucial bid in the High Court to block their planned eviction from parcels of land they occupy in the western district of Bulliisa.
"We have to protect the Bagungu because of historical injustices. These people who wanted to grab their land have now lost the case and they should immediately leave," he said.
Mr Museveni said the Bagungu, who are largely settled in Buliisa District and Basongora in Kasese should be protected from the immigrants who threaten to grab their land.
"When colonialists came, they unfairly gave away peoples land. Like the Basongora and Bagungu were evicted by colonial governments and their land made national parks. So we have to protect them from such groups," he said, adding; "I have already directed authorities to enforce the movement of these people." He did not say where they will go and who will enforce the eviction.
On the National Land Use policy the President said: "this is the first of its kind since Uganda got independence" though past governments started on the project but never realised it.
The policy also seeks to stop land fragmentation in agricultural areas and in urban centres which is driven by increasing population. The policy report admits that there has been no capacity to plan and develop new urban centres along environmentally acceptable standards.
"Therefore, there is need to rationalise urban land use and adopt appropriate standards for purposes of consolidation to achieve a desirable and sustainable urban form," part of the policy document states.
The document indicates that all government land is not titled, a scenario that attracted encroachers thus causing land conflicts. "All government land is not well defined nor is it titled. Government should take stock of its land, undertake to survey and title all her land," the policy suggests.
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The Policy also calls for implementation of some provisions of the Land Act 1998, like the one on issuance of certificates of customary ownership.
"Through the Land Act 1998, government has to some extent improved land management and administration. What is remaining is overcoming the challenges now faced in implementation of the provisions of the law," reads part of the report.
The Environmental Management Associates together with Development Consultants International Ltd drafted the Policy.
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