{UAH} BESIGYE'S CAMPAIGNAGAINST LAND GRABBING
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11:42 PM |
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By Ronald Muhinda
During 2016 Presidential elections, President Kizza Besigye address the media in Gulu on Land matters. He was concerned about mass land grabbing and made it a campaign issue.
Ugandans didn't listen. Later in 2016, he published a long article reiterating his six point proposals on land. Ugandans didn't read it.
In March 2017, Besigye launched MY LAND MY LIFE campaign to Mobilise people to protect their land from grabbers. Ugandans didn't listen.
Besigye and People's Government officials took My Land My Life campaign to Mityana, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Nakaseke, Kayunga, Kyegegwa, Amuru, Isingiro etc and Ugandans didn't listen. People were teargassed and shot at.
Kizza Besigye called you to take ACTION against Land grabbing, and where the problem is most active, majority called him Museveni agent.
Now Museveni has come for Mailo land and there is NOISE. What do Ugandans want? How much must your nose be squeezed to BLEED?
Ugandans, do you really deserve Kizza Besigye; his knowledge, foresight and efforts to awaken you?
Below I reproduce Besigye's proposals.
_______________________________________
KIZZA BESIGYE: This is why I have consistently called for the following:
1. Citizens of Uganda, regardless of political party, tribe or religion must reject outright the proposed amendment to Article 26 of the 1995 Constitution.
2. Moratorium on State-based land grabbing in northern Uganda and across the country:
•Government must immediately suspend further large-scale land acquisitions until a formal inquiry is made, a critical legal analysis of current land law and related corruption is carried out, and the low levels of public knowledge regarding land tenure and rights are addressed.
•Law enforcement bodies and the judiciary must enforce relevant laws and the rights of the citizens of Uganda considered binding (including customary) law;
•Land defenders must be protected from further violence and law enforcement agencies must ensure immediate investigation into allegations and/or threats of violence.
3. Critical Legal Analysis of current land law and related corruption
•A legal analysis must be conducted into the practical and long-term ramifications of the current land laws as they are applied; including, the protections of customary tenure governed by indigenous law, the benefits/drawbacks of customary land registry and registering via Certificates of Customary Ownership;
•Determine the extent to which land governance structures – including District Land Boards and Area Land Committees – are debilitated by bribery and fraud. Recommendations must be made public.
4. Formal inquiry into large-scale land grabbing by state authorities:
•Government must establish a judicial inquiry into accusations of land grabbing and fraudulent behaviour by state officials in respect to land acquisitions; these proceedings must be conducted with a view to land restitution and victim compensation.
The results of the inquiries must be made publically available within a specified time.
5. Establish a human rights based process to screen investors and prioritise those who promote transparency in process, and reject investment in projects —unless;
a) the proposed projects can demonstrate free and prior informed consent by the family, community or clan impacted by the proposed development;
b) the aforesaid companies must demonstrate through their business practice / philanthropic frameworks a commitment to the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights; the same due diligence would also be expected of their supply chains
6. Campaign to address low levels of knowledge related to land tenure and rights:
•Despite legal protections offered by the 1995 Constitution of Uganda and the 1998 Land Act, people continue to be disenfranchised because of lack of knowledge of basic land and resource rights protected by law. Ugandan communities require information regarding customary tenure and statutory law, legal registration processes, land markets, and land acquisition procedures.
In the meantime it is important to make the following recommendations to Ugandans whose land is currently protected by customary law:
a)Occupy your land: plants trees, cultivate, demarcate
b)Do not rush to register: Until you have comprehensive understanding of your land rights.
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-- During 2016 Presidential elections, President Kizza Besigye address the media in Gulu on Land matters. He was concerned about mass land grabbing and made it a campaign issue.
Ugandans didn't listen. Later in 2016, he published a long article reiterating his six point proposals on land. Ugandans didn't read it.
In March 2017, Besigye launched MY LAND MY LIFE campaign to Mobilise people to protect their land from grabbers. Ugandans didn't listen.
Besigye and People's Government officials took My Land My Life campaign to Mityana, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Nakaseke, Kayunga, Kyegegwa, Amuru, Isingiro etc and Ugandans didn't listen. People were teargassed and shot at.
Kizza Besigye called you to take ACTION against Land grabbing, and where the problem is most active, majority called him Museveni agent.
Now Museveni has come for Mailo land and there is NOISE. What do Ugandans want? How much must your nose be squeezed to BLEED?
Ugandans, do you really deserve Kizza Besigye; his knowledge, foresight and efforts to awaken you?
Below I reproduce Besigye's proposals.
_______________________________________
KIZZA BESIGYE: This is why I have consistently called for the following:
1. Citizens of Uganda, regardless of political party, tribe or religion must reject outright the proposed amendment to Article 26 of the 1995 Constitution.
2. Moratorium on State-based land grabbing in northern Uganda and across the country:
•Government must immediately suspend further large-scale land acquisitions until a formal inquiry is made, a critical legal analysis of current land law and related corruption is carried out, and the low levels of public knowledge regarding land tenure and rights are addressed.
•Law enforcement bodies and the judiciary must enforce relevant laws and the rights of the citizens of Uganda considered binding (including customary) law;
•Land defenders must be protected from further violence and law enforcement agencies must ensure immediate investigation into allegations and/or threats of violence.
3. Critical Legal Analysis of current land law and related corruption
•A legal analysis must be conducted into the practical and long-term ramifications of the current land laws as they are applied; including, the protections of customary tenure governed by indigenous law, the benefits/drawbacks of customary land registry and registering via Certificates of Customary Ownership;
•Determine the extent to which land governance structures – including District Land Boards and Area Land Committees – are debilitated by bribery and fraud. Recommendations must be made public.
4. Formal inquiry into large-scale land grabbing by state authorities:
•Government must establish a judicial inquiry into accusations of land grabbing and fraudulent behaviour by state officials in respect to land acquisitions; these proceedings must be conducted with a view to land restitution and victim compensation.
The results of the inquiries must be made publically available within a specified time.
5. Establish a human rights based process to screen investors and prioritise those who promote transparency in process, and reject investment in projects —unless;
a) the proposed projects can demonstrate free and prior informed consent by the family, community or clan impacted by the proposed development;
b) the aforesaid companies must demonstrate through their business practice / philanthropic frameworks a commitment to the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights; the same due diligence would also be expected of their supply chains
6. Campaign to address low levels of knowledge related to land tenure and rights:
•Despite legal protections offered by the 1995 Constitution of Uganda and the 1998 Land Act, people continue to be disenfranchised because of lack of knowledge of basic land and resource rights protected by law. Ugandan communities require information regarding customary tenure and statutory law, legal registration processes, land markets, and land acquisition procedures.
In the meantime it is important to make the following recommendations to Ugandans whose land is currently protected by customary law:
a)Occupy your land: plants trees, cultivate, demarcate
b)Do not rush to register: Until you have comprehensive understanding of your land rights.
c)Lobby your MPs, district officials and local council members to support the above plan and TAKE ACTION.
--
"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"
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