The Katikiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has faulted police, judiciary and land registries for exacerbating the land problems in the country.
Appearing before the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Land Commission in Wandegeya this morning the Katikiro said the three agencies are complicit in the rampant land fraud by siding with the rich including politicians to grab land from the poor.
“Every person across the country has a negative a story to tell about Police on how they have failed to investigate into land matter and how they side line with the rich persons and politicians to grab peoples’ land,” Katikiro Mayiga told the Commission.
“We implored the Land Division of the High Court gets judges to dispose of cases in a timely manner. The Land Act has not been fully implemented and this needs to change,” he added.
He also took swipe at an amendment bill by government last year, proposing to acquire land for putting up public structures before compensating the land owners.
“Government is known for taking its time before people are compensated, and therefore we believes Government can only acquire land from owners after clear compensation,” he noted.
And, reacting to the Commission’s recommendations to abolish Mailo land, Katikiro Mayiga said the Buganda kingdom will outrightly oppose the recommendation.
“There is a perception the the land commission is aimed at denying the Buganda Kingdom and the Kabaka a rightful ownership of land. We recommended for the reinstatement of a Federal system of governance for each area to manage its own affairs,” the Katikiro emphasized.
Instituted in 2016 to investigate land matters, the Land Commission includes among others Justice Bamugemereire, Robert Sebunya, Ms. Mary Oduka Ochan, Ms. Joyce Habasa, Dr. Rose Nakayi, former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Fred Ruhindi and George Bagonza Tinkamanyire.
