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M7 vows to crack whip at unscrupulous landlords
Museveni with former Lands minister Aida Nantaba
President Yoweri Museveni has expressed disapointment with the local leaders for allegedly turning a deaf ear and watching idly while land lords inflict injustices to Bibanja owners in the country side.
Museveni was speaking during a function to commemorate the Heroes Day held at Ssi Sub Country Buikwe district last week.
“All these injustices would not be happening if the leaders were making themselves available to help the people and that is why land lords take advantage of that. But the good thing is that I am available. We are going to rise up and make sure all that stops, ” Museveni vowed.
“We are not going to allow evictions and the law is there. We made it criminal. The state had to come in on the side of Bibanja holders, ” he added.
Former lands States Minister Aidah Nantaba who has recently been in the limelight for joinning tennants’ battle with landlords in Kayunga district was all smiles saying the President finally vindicated her.
“This is the very battle I was heading and I nearly lost my life at the hands of landLords but are the so called big shots in government,” Nantaba said advising the President to tackle the problem by handling what he called the “Untouchables”.
Local Council Chairman Francis Lumu Kifampa of Katiiti village Wakiso District is one of the local leaders promoting harmony between Bibanja owners and Landlords to avert evictions.
He agrees with President Museveni that some local leaders indeed connive with landlords to mistreat bibaja owners.
“There are even cases where local leaders acting under the influence of corruption conspire to blind-fold citzens into even signing documents that lead to the dispossesion of their own land,” Lumu said calling for learders’ intergrety, coperation and awareness to help Ugandans suffering at the hands of some unscrupulous landlords.
Presidential Museveni’s media advisor Tamale Mirundi attributes local leaders’ indifference to corruption.
“Because most of them are not sure of their fate in the next reshuffle, and therefore when a landlord gives them Ushs10m for example, they abdicate their roles by keeping quiet creating a leeway for the landlords to mistreat their squarters in whatever way they want,” Tamale said .
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