Fred Kateregga
31 August 2008
Kampala — Residents of Luweero and Nakasongola districts have supported the Land Amendment Bill, which the Government says is aimed at stopping unlawful evictions countrywide.
The residents of Kamira, Butuntumula, Zirobwe, Nyimbwa and Ndejje sub-counties last week supported the Bill and said the minister should be given power to set the annual ground rent if district land boards failed to do so in six months.
Nyimbwa LC3 chairperson Livingstone Nyakairu, urged the Government to quickly pass the Bill before people start killing each other.
"Paying annual ground rent is a law but the land boards have failed to set it. I support the idea of giving the minister power to set it," he told the Presidential Land Bill Task Force, which is on a sensitisation drive in Buganda.
The task force members are Haji Edrisa Sseddunga, Bob Kibirige, Sowali Katamba, Resty Nakayenga, Vincent Kiggundu and Wasswa Ssekamatte.
In Butuntumula, 500 residents, including the LC3 chairperson Fred Ssemuyaba, said the Bill was the only way to save poor people from evictions.
"This is now a serious disease that needs urgent attention. The culprits should be held for seven years and above because they do it intentionally."
Residents of Kamira blamed the Government for delaying the Bill. The area LC3 chairperson, Livingstone Kategaya, said the area was the most hit by illegal evictions in Luweero district.
In Zirobwe sub-county residents said the Bill should also talk about the already evicted people. "Some thing must be done to those because they are also Ugandans," said the area chairpman, Abdon Mugerwa.
In Nakasongola district, Kalungi, Wabinyonyi, Kikooge, Kakooge, Mugyeera, Nakitoma, Lwamata and other sub-counties asked the Government to be tough on landlords.
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