The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kiboga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kiboga district authorities have appealed to the Lands, Housing and Urban Development minister to stop the impending eviction of Kiboga town council offices. They also want the minister to investigate how businessman David Nsubuga acquired a title on the land hosting the town council offices.
Kiboga district LCV chairperson Nsiiro Karunda Wavamuno says that Nubuga fraudulently acquired a title that he is using to evict the town council from land comprising block 655 plot 1204.
He says that Nsubuga has already cut down all memorial trees planted by the president, blocking all access roads to the town council offices and grading and excavating the disputed land.
In their petition to the Lands Minister, Kiboga district officials led by Nsiiro trace the history of the land to 1925 when the then Kabaka of Buganda allocated 8 square miles of land comprising Block 655 at Kiboga to the late Tera Ssekibamu Munakulya who was serving as a sub-county chief.
The officials claim that the chief donated the land for the construction of a medical facility, which was later transferred to the current Kiboga hospital and was later occupied by Kiboga county headquarters then under Mubende district.
“The occupation and existence of the county headquarter offices continued until 1992 when Kiboga district was created and occupied the same offices until when further developments were made by building the district offices on a nearby location. When the district shifted to the new offices, they authorized the town council authorities to occupy the same offices,” reads the notice.
Adding that“…in 2008, it was learnt that the land in question got a land title in names of Ssempebwa Reagan, a minor that was fraudulently processed by David Nsubuga. The then administrator of the land block 655 plot 638 in the name Kiberu Tom, complained to the commissioner at lands by way of affidavit and the title was cancelled. Little did we know that Nsubuga David fraudulently again processed another title on block 655 plot 1204 in his name.”
The Kiboga town council deputy chairperson Kato Ssenyonjo says that their offices took possession of the property in 2006 from rented premises and that no claimant has ever come to claim for the land. He revealed that the documents regarding the said land and the town council’s occupation of the property were burnt in the old premises, which may have prompted Nsubuga to take advantage.
Kiboga town council LC III chairperson Henry Kagali says that they were taken by surprise by people who showed up with a letter from the District Natural resources office giving them permission to cut down the memorial trees. He said that after cutting down the trees, the same people embarked on grading the land.
Kagali said that when he came to office, the town council was battling court cases and that part of the land was already given away by the former leaders.
The State Minister for Lands Dr Sam Mayanja has asked the Resident District Commissioner-RDC to intervene in matters of criminal trespass and criminal destruction of property on the land in dispute. The minister has also directed Mityana Ministry Zonal Office to immediately cancel the fraudulent title in the name of David Nsubuga and report to his office within 5 days.
“That the chairperson LC5 Kiboga district, Nsiiro as the political head of the district takes physical possession of the said land immediately on behalf of the district,” wrote Dr Mayanja adding that the District Police Commander shall immediately secure the land.
According to the minister, the property has since 1925 been in public use as the district health facility administrative unit and district headquarters which gives the public offices security of occupancy guaranteed under Article 237(8) of the Constitution. Efforts to get a comment from Nsubuga were futile as he neither picked up nor returned calls to his known mobile telephone numbers.
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