Land grabbing has become a very big issue affecting many families and people in Uganda. It has not only stopped at an individual level, but extended to the church with the church of Uganda being affected and falling victim of the same.
As pilgrims attended prayers in commemoration of the Uganda Martyrs at Namugongo Anglican Martyrs Site, on June 3, 2023, Reverend Esau Bbosa Kimanje the Vicar of Namugongo Parish and Principal of Namugongo Seminary complained of the church land being unlawfully occupied by other people.
“Your Grace, we have a very big chunk of land, but people who are sited behind the church, all are on church land. We are squeezed and the church we are putting up is squeezed because of the challenge,” he said.
He appealed to the government through Archbishop Dr. Samuel Stephen Kazimba Mugalu to help them recover the grabbed church land, citing that every year, the number of pilgrims increases and the place keeps getting smaller.
“Our neighbors behind cannot go away, so we are appealing to you Archbishop, maybe you can appeal to the government to do something. And also I am seeing every time we are increasing, and this time I am overwhelmed, so we need that land. The neighbors who are behind there, you are on church land, please better organize yourselves,” Rev. Bbosa said.
Rev. Bbosa also raise the challenge of power, saying that UMEME was very expensive and they raised a project of solar which they are currently using to light the site.
Rev, Bbosa thanked God, the government, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, bishops, and he thanked the Eastern Diocese cluster for easing the work and making the day a success.
However, in response, Minister Ruth Nankabirwa in charge of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development also the Chief guest said that she had received the complaint about the grabbed land of the church and contacted the Minister of Finance, and promised with the help from other Ministers to handle the matter.
“I have heard from His Grace when he mentioned the need for government of Uganda to honor her appeal, her obligation of compensating Church of Uganda for the land that has been utilized. I have written letters to the Minister of Finance, as the mandate given to me, I will continue to push it with the support of Honorable Rebecca Kadaga and my other colleagues in the cabinet, we will do the needful,” she said.
The Minister promised to handle the land issue of the bonfire occupants as required by the constitution of Uganda, and raise the site to international levels as it will contribute to religious tourism.
Minister Nankabirwa pledged that the government will put money in the energy firm in order to stop borrowing money for the generation of electricity.
Land in Uganda has become a big challenge that some people have lost lives as a result of land conflicts, while others have remained homeless.
