Local leaders in Kiboga District have called upon the government to review the authority assumed by village chairpersons after reports of alleged interference in land conflict cases in Uganda.

The leaders, led by the Resident District Commissioner, Moses Ddumba Kakooza, during a meeting organized by the council leaders in Kiboga on January 12, 2025, argued that local council chairpersons exercise a lot of greed by conniving with land grabbers to steal people’s land.

“I have cases in my office where village chairpersons sold land without the knowledge of the owners. In one scenario, the chairperson sold the land twice, and I told the lands minister, Judith Nabakooba, about it during her field tour to Kyanamuyonjo Village in Kyomya Sub-county to track the progress of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and address land matters,” Kakooza said.

He advocated for a law guiding the issuance of land agreements, with at least three signatures from local council leaders approving the selling agreement documents before they are handed to the owners.

Kakooza gave an incident of a village where a chairperson sold land twice after the first buyers went abroad and left the land idle and the widow and her children bought 10 acres on the land. When the owners returned from abroad, he suggested their eviction.

In response, Judith Nabakooba, the state minister of lands, housing, and urban development, assured the public that she would analyze the issue and make a conclusive decision as her ministry undertakes amendments to the National Land Policy to see how the powers of village chairpersons can be regulated.

“In the amendments we are trying to do, we are trying to see how we can put LCs in their correct positions because sometimes they assume a lot of powers when it comes to land,” Nabakooba said.

However, she mentioned that, during these amendments, the ministry will decide on whether to make a law or regulations that will guide these chairpersons when it comes to land.

Kiboga East MP, Kefa Kiwanuka, blamed all shortfalls in the land sector that have caused conflicts on police, resident state attorney, chairpersons, and court.

“You can call a police officer for help, and when you go on the ground, they promise to stand with you by providing security but connive with thieves whom they protect to even destroy people’s property,” Kiwanuka said.

Kiwanuka also said locals tend to claim that National Resistance Movement members are the ones behind land grabbing, which accusations are not true, asserting that even the long-time cadres have had their land taken by the ‘rich.’

Kiboga is one of the districts overwhelmed by conflicts in greater Mubende, and efforts are underway, as assured by the lands minister, for the government to buy them land through the Land Fund to help the wananchi obtain full ownership where they are currently squatters.

Kiboga District received Shs12.3 billion PDM cash since the program’s inception in the financial year 2021/2022. Out of this, Shs 12.1 billion has been disbursed to 12,128 households in the 58 parishes.