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State Minister for Lands, Mr. Sam Mayanja, has taken decisive action in a recent development concerning land disputes in Kayunga District. He has directed over 8,000 tenants, predominantly Balaalo, who were evicted from the Bajjo central forest reserve in Galilaaya Sub-county by the National Forestry Authority (NFA), to return to the disputed forest land.
Mr. Mayanja convened a meeting with the affected tenants in Kataigwa trading center in Galilaaya Sub-county. He disputed NFA’s claims that the land is part of a forest reserve, arguing that there are no trees present on the disputed land.
During the meeting, Mr. Mayanja emphatically ordered NFA to vacate the land and instructed the immediate removal of soldiers and policemen deployed there, garnering applause from the tenants, many of whom are Balaalo.
The minister’s intervention follows reports of eviction by soldiers and policemen allegedly deployed by high-ranking security officers to guard the land. These evictions resulted in the destruction of homes and the loss of livestock belonging to the tenants.
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Last month, officials from the State House anti-corruption unit met with the affected Balaalo, promising to provide feedback after investigating the matter. Bajjo Central Forest Reserve, gazetted in 1932, spans 3,373 hectares and serves as a crucial catchment area for rivers Ssezibwa and Nile, which ultimately feed into Lake Victoria.
Mr. John Ssemugabo, chairman of the affected tenants, highlighted to the minister that NFA had allocated significant portions of the forest land to high-ranking security and government officials for farming activities, displacing longstanding tenants who should have been given priority according to the law.
Furthermore, Mr. Ssemugabo reported that homes belonging to tenants were destroyed by soldiers, some tenants were arrested or assaulted, and are now seeking medical treatment.
Minister Mayanja criticized NFA for disregarding the 1995 Land Act and accused them of allocating land to new tenants without prioritizing existing occupants. He questioned the legitimacy of land titles issued within the forest land and vowed to take action against officials involved in fraudulent activities.
Additionally, the minister ordered the cancellation of a land title issued to Kiira Motors in Bajjo forest, alleging fraudulent acquisition. Kiira Motors had purchased a portion of the forest reserve in 2021 for the construction of an automobile assembling plant, a project now facing uncertainty due to legal challenges.
Mr. Moses Karangwa, the Kayunga District NRM chairman, expressed support for the minister’s directives, stating they would prevent further displacement of residents who had lost their land due to evictions from the forest land.
Mr. Charles Tebandeke, the Bbaale County MP, asserted that many of the evicted Balaalo were rightful occupants of the land. He accused the new tenants, facilitated by NFA, of intending to sell the land to sugar cane growers.
However, Mr. Moses Muhumuza, head of the NFA legal department, criticized Minister Mayanja’s directives, labeling them as illegitimate. He emphasized that entry into a forest reserve without proper authorization is prohibited by law, regardless of the presence of trees.
Mr. Muhumuza defended NFA’s actions, stating that members of the Galilaaya community had applied for and been granted land in Bajjo forest reserve through lawful processes. He questioned why the alleged tenants had not followed the same procedures as others in obtaining land licenses.
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