The cold war between President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni and Buganda kingdom has deepened with the kingdom premier Charles Peter Mayiga cautioning the president to go slow on abolishing mailo land because part of State House is sitting on Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi's land.
Mayiga was responding to Museveni's statements that mailo land tenure system should be eradicated.
During the swearing of ministers in Kololo independence grounds, Museveni said that a number of people in Buganda have been evicted by mailo land owners which has brought instability and panic in the country.
However, during the Buganda budget reading yesterday, Mayiga asked Kabaka's subject not to panic because of Museveni's statements.
"They may bring all those laws and pass them but what I am telling you is that they will not be the first to do so, Amin was here and also did the same, he even banned mailo land. When he went the laws were removed so even those laws they want to bring will be removed," Mayiga said.
He challenged government to take action against people evicting people from their land because they are known.
He also told government to solve the problems that lead to land evictions instead of putting the blame on the entire land system.
He insisted that poor facilitation and incompetence in police's land protection unit, land speculation, injustices in the country's judicial system and other land transgressions are the causes of frequent evictions.
Mayiga reminded those in support of banning mailo land system in Buganda to remember that many government institutions are siting on mailo land.
Mayiga added that Buganda has been patient with government institutions that are siting on Kabaka's land and reminded Museveni that land surveys show that part of State House is sitting on Kabaka's land and under the administration of Buganda Land board but they are not pressurizing him to pay rent.
Many Baganda fear that by appointing Dr. Sam Mayanja as a State Minister of Lands, Museveni is trying to hatch a move to ban mailo land in Buganda. However, when contacted by theGrapevine, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of Information and National Guidance said that Museveni was misquoted on the mailo land issue and that there is no move to ban mailo land in Buganda.
He also explained that what government plans to do is buy land from willing landlords and give it to tenants because government cannot look on when people are being evicted especially in Buganda.
By Sengooba Alirabaki
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