{UAH} MINISTER BETTY AMONG BLASTS BESIGYE OVER LAND GRABBING CLAIMS
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MINISTER BETTY AMONG BLASTS BESIGYE OVER LAND GRABBING CLAIMS
I take exception to Dr Kizza Besigye's opinion, 'Reject State organised land grabbing through amending the Constitution' in Daily Monitor of November 8, in which he generously serves readers a cocktail of unverified claims, allegations and exaggerations peppered with personal attacks on government, the President and myself. In this response, I shall save the readers a replay of the attacks and allegations the author labels against the President and myself but confine myself to issues most salient to the protection of land and its attendant rights.
To set the record straight, separate fact from fiction, reality from exaggeration, good will of government from the broad brush of anti-development propaganda, a repeat of one over arching claim the writer makes, will be helpful for context sake to set the record straight. Dr Besigye wrote of a development he finds disturbing and opined, I quote,
"The current pressure reported by Uganda's media to 'accelerate land registration', particularly in the northern region where land use is governed by customary law. The key questions that must be addressed first are why? Why now? 'Why is changing land law being pitched by the Museveni regime as a quick fix to prevent land grabbing and resolve land disputes?"
Since the other claims fall short of the standard of facts, (facts are verifiable, corroborated and not figments of imagination), let me respond to this because it is not in doubt that there is accelerated land registration in the northern region. Of course this too is not entirely true. What is true is that there is effort to register land across the country. If the Besigye doubts this he can have a chat with the leader of Opposition in Parliament who has witnessed the ongoing efforts to title land in Kasese district.
Indeed several colleagues from the Opposition flock to my office pushing for the titling of their land and that of their constituents across the country.
Land reform is not an exclusive exercise by Uganda only; countries that had land problems and conducted reforms have registered increased growth. Land redistribution was done in Japan (1954-1968), South Korea (1954-1963), Taiwan (1953-1964). And national long term leases reform was conducted in China (1979-1984), Viet Nam (1991-1995) among others. Due to these reforms, these countries GDP growth has increased tremendously and are among the richest countries in the world.
Currently in Uganda, due to land disputes, agricultural productivity has declined by 11 per cent on customary land and by 25 per cent on mailo land in central and Kibaale districts. Land registration is supposed to address the current challenges of unsecured land rights which curtails agricultural productivity in the country. No country has developed without investments and securing capital from banks for investments which is anchored on secured collateral. It should be noted that, 86 per cent of bank loans in Uganda are made against collateral and land registration and tenure security on mailo and customary land would boost access to capital for SMEs. Would this be too much for Dr Besigye to appreciate?
Contrary to his claim, the fact that one has customary land rights does not stop ill-intentioned people from grabbing unregistered customary land. In fact the FDC manifesto on page 11 proposes a call for action to "improve land tenure security by accelerating titling and registration of land with a target of registering at least three million parcels…" Was FDC calling for this to grab people's land or was it intended to take away customary land from its owners? It is no secret that the central and western regions of our country whose land is surveyed and titled are more developed. Titling land bears good news to the investors and the banking sector because world over successful entrepreneurs grow their businesses through loans and land is an important collateral. If you speak to Centenary Bank, they will share how they started to penetrate the up country market when they loosened up and accepted land sale agreements endorsed by local council officials as proof of ownership.
Amuru and Nwoya districts which he points out with intriguing passion, are now some of the most cosmopolitan districts in the region with Asians, Arabs and other races converging to tap into the rich potential and with that a flurry of opportunities for our people abound. Certainly the people of the north know the value of their land better, how to protect it and the special protection the Constitution gives.
Since Besigye is a doctor and medics diagnose and prescribe based on evidence, I challenge him to single out one piece of land grabbed by government or about to be grabbed otherwise for now everything else reads like a fairy tale of fanciful imagination and fallacies not backed by evidence.
I repeat, registration and titling of land which is on going across the country, is a step in the right direction to lift our people from the trenches of poverty, enhance their security, mitigate conflict and Dr Besigye whose land is registered and titled appreciates how noble this is.
Let me remind him that the mother titles of all his land/properties are under our safe custody in this ministry, and what is good for him, should also be good for the people of the north. Suffice to note is the fact that Dr Besigye hails from Rujumbura in Rukungiri Municipality where land is titled. Does it mean that land from that area has now been grabbed by government?
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-- I take exception to Dr Kizza Besigye's opinion, 'Reject State organised land grabbing through amending the Constitution' in Daily Monitor of November 8, in which he generously serves readers a cocktail of unverified claims, allegations and exaggerations peppered with personal attacks on government, the President and myself. In this response, I shall save the readers a replay of the attacks and allegations the author labels against the President and myself but confine myself to issues most salient to the protection of land and its attendant rights.
To set the record straight, separate fact from fiction, reality from exaggeration, good will of government from the broad brush of anti-development propaganda, a repeat of one over arching claim the writer makes, will be helpful for context sake to set the record straight. Dr Besigye wrote of a development he finds disturbing and opined, I quote,
"The current pressure reported by Uganda's media to 'accelerate land registration', particularly in the northern region where land use is governed by customary law. The key questions that must be addressed first are why? Why now? 'Why is changing land law being pitched by the Museveni regime as a quick fix to prevent land grabbing and resolve land disputes?"
Since the other claims fall short of the standard of facts, (facts are verifiable, corroborated and not figments of imagination), let me respond to this because it is not in doubt that there is accelerated land registration in the northern region. Of course this too is not entirely true. What is true is that there is effort to register land across the country. If the Besigye doubts this he can have a chat with the leader of Opposition in Parliament who has witnessed the ongoing efforts to title land in Kasese district.
Indeed several colleagues from the Opposition flock to my office pushing for the titling of their land and that of their constituents across the country.
Land reform is not an exclusive exercise by Uganda only; countries that had land problems and conducted reforms have registered increased growth. Land redistribution was done in Japan (1954-1968), South Korea (1954-1963), Taiwan (1953-1964). And national long term leases reform was conducted in China (1979-1984), Viet Nam (1991-1995) among others. Due to these reforms, these countries GDP growth has increased tremendously and are among the richest countries in the world.
Currently in Uganda, due to land disputes, agricultural productivity has declined by 11 per cent on customary land and by 25 per cent on mailo land in central and Kibaale districts. Land registration is supposed to address the current challenges of unsecured land rights which curtails agricultural productivity in the country. No country has developed without investments and securing capital from banks for investments which is anchored on secured collateral. It should be noted that, 86 per cent of bank loans in Uganda are made against collateral and land registration and tenure security on mailo and customary land would boost access to capital for SMEs. Would this be too much for Dr Besigye to appreciate?
Contrary to his claim, the fact that one has customary land rights does not stop ill-intentioned people from grabbing unregistered customary land. In fact the FDC manifesto on page 11 proposes a call for action to "improve land tenure security by accelerating titling and registration of land with a target of registering at least three million parcels…" Was FDC calling for this to grab people's land or was it intended to take away customary land from its owners? It is no secret that the central and western regions of our country whose land is surveyed and titled are more developed. Titling land bears good news to the investors and the banking sector because world over successful entrepreneurs grow their businesses through loans and land is an important collateral. If you speak to Centenary Bank, they will share how they started to penetrate the up country market when they loosened up and accepted land sale agreements endorsed by local council officials as proof of ownership.
Amuru and Nwoya districts which he points out with intriguing passion, are now some of the most cosmopolitan districts in the region with Asians, Arabs and other races converging to tap into the rich potential and with that a flurry of opportunities for our people abound. Certainly the people of the north know the value of their land better, how to protect it and the special protection the Constitution gives.
Since Besigye is a doctor and medics diagnose and prescribe based on evidence, I challenge him to single out one piece of land grabbed by government or about to be grabbed otherwise for now everything else reads like a fairy tale of fanciful imagination and fallacies not backed by evidence.
I repeat, registration and titling of land which is on going across the country, is a step in the right direction to lift our people from the trenches of poverty, enhance their security, mitigate conflict and Dr Besigye whose land is registered and titled appreciates how noble this is.
Let me remind him that the mother titles of all his land/properties are under our safe custody in this ministry, and what is good for him, should also be good for the people of the north. Suffice to note is the fact that Dr Besigye hails from Rujumbura in Rukungiri Municipality where land is titled. Does it mean that land from that area has now been grabbed by government?
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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)
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