By Frank Kamuntu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed landlords to stop illegal evictions of bibanja holders.
He also ordered them that whoever has excessive nominal rent fees (obusuulu) to return it to bibanja holders immediately or risk being arrested.
“The landlords who have been charging more than the agreed busuulu fees by the district must return it back, and if they try to evict our people, we shall arrest them. You must pay back all the money you have taken from these people and the evictions are illegal,” H.E Museveni said.
Speaking at the 35th Heroes’ Day celebrations held on 9th June, 2024 at Mpenja Church of Uganda Primary School playgrounds, Mpenja Sub-county, Gomba District, under the theme: “Hail Our Heroes: A Secure Uganda Is Now Reality”, the President said the issue of the Landlords and bibanja holders was resolved in the Constituent Assembly (CA) and also in the Land Act of 1998.
“We said a landlord has no power to evict a kibanja person especially the one who was on that plot of land (Kibanja) by 1983. The only thing was to provide some nominal rent (busuulu) and that was to be fixed by the district land boards. The landlords must accept what we agreed in 1995 because Idi Amin had actually abolished mailo land but we restored ownership in order to allow a win-win situation, but these landlords don’t listen to the NRM and they think it’s a joke,” the President emphasised.
It should be remembered that in 1995, a new constitution was established, and land rights were clarified, which stated that the land in Uganda belonged to its people, and reinstated private land ownership. President Museveni was however dismayed to learn that landlords have decided to ignore the agreed upon nominal fees paid by the bibanja holders on their land and are going ahead to evict them.
According to Gomba District LC5 chairperson, Mr. Kiviiri Geoffrey, the approved nominal fees paid to the landlords is Shs10,000 per year but landlords have refused such payments leading to the increasing land wrangles in the area. The President said new policies will be put in place to safeguard this.
“Maybe what we have to resolve in the NRM parliamentary caucus is to provide that if the landlords don’t accept the rent fees, it (rent) should be taken and kept at the sub county. All this suffering is not following what was put in the law,” H.E Museveni directed.
He further asked the Resident District Commissioner-RDC for Gomba,Ms. Harriet Nakamya to record all those under threat of eviction due to the nominal fees and see how to resolve the matter with their landlords.
At the same ceremony, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Judith Nabakooba gave out land titles to 446 people of Kanoni, Gomba, courtesy of the government through the Land Fund.
President Museveni who is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) further revealed that they managed to succeed during the protracted liberation war of 1981-1986 because of the correct principles of the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M).
“What enabled us to succeed were the correct principles of the NRM because you hear that there were other groups which tried to fight but they could not manage,” he said.
He explained that as fighters, they believed in Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, building a new society through socio-economic transformation and democracy.
“When I’m in Kampala, I normally hear even the religious people talking about the traditional religion which is very strong here but we were able to handle those people and showed them what to do. We could listen to them and also show them the way. We were able to lead these traditional people in a modern way. We told them that we can get the blessings from our ancestors but bullets can kill and we did it a modern way and the machine gunners who attacked the then government were actually from the traditional people. These people were the ones who stormed Kampala,” the President asserted.
President Museveni also underscored the role of Gomba in the protracted struggle.
“This was an operational area for UFM and FEDEMO, the NRA was operating in the Northeast of here but Gomba was a corridor for our recruits from the South West to the Luwero area. And even when we were going to attack Kabamba we passed through Gomba here,” he said.
“You Bazukulu and all the foreigners need to know that Uganda is a land of martyrs like we were celebrating on the 3rd of June and also the land of Heroes. The martyrs died without resistance but us, we were more than martyrs. So when you are dealing with Uganda, you should know those two characteristics. For the martyrs, they said if you want to kill me, do so but I will not change but for Heroes, they say you hit me, I also hit you.”
He advised leaders to be patient with the people they lead in order to put ideas in their heads so that they can be able to achieve their goals.
“People can listen and move with you if you are patient with them,” he noted.
The President also challenged Ugandans to fight poverty by embracing the NRM wealth creation message.
“Since 1995, I have been telling you how to get out of poverty and we gave you the four acre model; and if you don’t have use the one acre or whatever you have but if it’s the four acres, we said one acre is for coffee, another acre for fruits, the third acre for pasture for dairy cows, the fourth acre for food crops and in the backyard you put poultry or pigs if you are not a Muslim or traditional Munyankore and then if you are near the wetland, you do fish farming. You will get a lot of money. All these programs we have been bringing are in order to help you implement either all or some of those,” he said.
“Now you the veterans, when I launched Operation Wealth Creation, I told Gen. Saleh to first give coffee seedlings or other seedlings to the families of the veterans and that is why we started in the Luwero area.”
President Museveni further reiterated his call for Ugandans to embrace government programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to improve their livelihoods.
“With PDM we are giving Shs1 million per borrowing. The reason we had Shs1 million is because it was enough to give you one acre of coffee. If we are sending Shs100 million per parish per year, that means 100 homesteads will be able to move and if it performs well we can even increase to Shs. 200 million, so stop listening to the ones diverting you, start. Then there’s Emyooga for every constituency,” he expounded.
“We have solutions for every problem now. For agriculture, PDM is there, Emyooga money is also there, now this money is for low-income people. For the richer people, there’s money in Uganda Development Bank. So please don’t listen to those people who want to mislead you.”
On the other hand, President Museveni directed the new Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba to install 18 police officers per sub county with facilities and link the villages to telephones in order to deal with the issue of crime.
“Fighting crime in Uganda is very simple now. When the IGP puts the 18 policemen per sub-county with transport, then you have telephones all over the place, it is very simple. These sub counties are no longer big. Therefore, with the communication, which is everywhere, it is very easy to control this crime.”
The President also promised to meet the executive of the veterans to discuss several issues.
On the other hand, 49 distinguished persons were awarded medals for their exceptional contribution towards the socio-economic transformation of the country.
Among the awardees was Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Jumah Al Maktoum from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who received a distinguished Order of the Crested Crane 1st Class Medal. He is a businessman and a member of the Dubai Royal family.
Earlier, President Museveni laid a wreath at a hero’s monument in memory of the freedom fighters whose lives were ended through extrajudicial killings during the people’s protracted liberation war (1981-1986).
The Minister for Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda informed the President that the event was being celebrated in honour of His personal sacrifice and commitment to liberate Uganda.
“Your Excellency, sir, your advisor Hajji Edrisa Ssedunga wrote to me requesting that we host this year’s heroes day at Mpenja. Due to the historical significance of this place to the struggle of a free Uganda, we did not have any objection to this choice sir. Your Excellency, Gomba District which was part of the greater Mpigi District in the 1980s was a resistance corridor,” she said.
“Many of the civilians in this area that were part of the revolution were violently killed by the UNLF forces.”
Hon. Babalanda also commended the Prime Minister’s Office through Luwero Triangle under Hon. Alice Kaboyo for doing a commendable job of empowering the communities which were affected by the war.
“A number of items are being distributed. Additionally, the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs is similarly handling the issues of veterans and to construct memorial monuments of the war and other projects such as renovation of schools and health facilities,” she said.
“Your Excellency, allow me to commend you, the freedom fighter number one for leading a revolution that was not only aimed at changing a government in power but causing a fundamental change in the history of the country.”
The Minister on the other hand, noted that the discipline that has been instilled in the gallant sons and daughters of the UPDF under President Museveni’s leadership has not only benefited Uganda but also the entire Great Lakes region.
“This is indeed a fundamental change in the history of our country.”
The Minister of State for Luwero Triangle/Rwenzori Region, Hon. Alice Kaboyo hailed the courage of Ugandans who sacrificed their lives to positively impact on the development of Uganda.
Hon. Kaboyo also called upon leaders to continuously preach and teach the gospel of peace and unity for the sustainability and preservation of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
“Uganda has made great strides towards socio-economic transformation and human development. However, the road has not been easy given the long history of insecurity and socio-economic instability of the past. We therefore appreciate Your Excellency for the great sacrifice and that of other gallant sons of Uganda, some of whom paid with the ultimate price of blood to restore the political, social and economic sanity in a country once haunted by bad leadership,” she said.
Hon. Kaboyo added that recently she embarked on a journey to empower veterans around the country and so far, hundreds of families have been supported economically.
Hajji Edrisa Ssedunga, the National Chairman of Luwero Triangle War Veterans Association thanked President Museveni for leading a successful protracted struggle that saw the NRM government coming to power in 1986. He said the current government has since ushered in peace, security and development to Uganda.
He also revealed that as veterans they appreciate the government’s efforts of fighting poverty among Ugandans through President Museveni’s wealth creation gospel.
The veterans further requested the President to stand again for Presidency in 2026 and pledged their support to him.
Hajji Ssedunga also thanked Gen. Museveni for offering gratuity (akasiimo) to veterans and asked him to continue extending the support to them.
The event was also attended by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Among, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the NRM First National Vice Chairman, Alhajj Moses Kigongo, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja, 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Community Affairs, Rt.Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, the NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, ministers, Judiciary officials, Members of Parliament, the leadership of security agencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, religious and cultural leaders, among others.
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