Lugazi — The Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Mutebi II, has asked the Baganda to protect their land jealously and utilise it to improve their livelihoods.

Addressing the youth at Lugazi community grounds during celebrations to mark Buganda Youth Day on Saturday, Kabaka Mutebi urged them to stop selling off their land for lavishness.

The Kabaka said his kingdom would only regain her lost glory if the youth invest in agriculture and agro based small-scale industries.

"It's a grave mistake for any one to sell off his land because he would have lost its value for ever," he said.

"You can't develop without land, therefore stop selling your land just invest on it." The Kabaka's call comes at a time after the kingdom rejected the proposed Land Act Amendment Bill 2007 which it says is intended to facilitate the grabbing of land in Buganda.

Flanked by Buganda Second Deputy Katikkiro Nsubuga Nsambu, the Kabaka condemned the increasing rural -urban migration, which he said had created food shortages in Buganda and gave room for greedy land grabbers.

"The new culture of leaving villages to towns has exposed our land to opportunists," he said. "I ask you to stay in villages and invest in agriculture extensively."

The Kabaka, who toured several privately owned developmental projects in Mukono District, emphasised the urgency of reviving coffee growing in Buganda region in order to curb the increasing poverty levels.