KAMPALA – Lands minister Beti Kamya has vowed to arrest landlords, RDCs and police officers who are evicting people from land during the ongoing lockdown over coronavirus.
In many parts of the country, land evictions are continuing. Currently, more than 35,000 people from 20 villages are being evicted from about 9,300 acres of land in Kiryandongo District to pave way for large scale farming.
But addressing journalists in Kampala on Thursday, April 16, Ms Kamya warned that no evictions should happen during this period.
” I have heard that land grabbers in Kiryandongo are destroying people’s gardens and throwing them off the land. I want to inform them that this matter is in the Office of the Prime Minister and no evictions should happen,” she said.
“DPCs should resist from any land transactions that were not cleared by the president. Land transactions are not among the transactions that should take place during the lockdown,” she added.
The minister added all land zonal offices are closed, hence no one should be lied to that any land business can be transacted before the lockdown is lifted.
Ms Kamya also said bonafide bibanja owners cannot be evicted from their pieces of land without compensation.
” I shall cancel all second, third and fourth land titles that were provided onto of a bonafide first land title. All those intending to acquire land should know that.
In Kiryandongo, residents claim that they have occupied the land for years while government says the land has not been occupied and has hence given to companies to grow rice.
Ms Kamya said: “The president has no problem giving the land in Kiryandongo to investors for as long as it has no owners. Those using the president’s name falsely in this matter should stop.”
