By George Bita
The Government, working with development partners, has secured 6,000 farmlands in Namutumba district by availing owners with title deeds.
The move is aimed at guarding their farms against potential land grabbing, a vice that is common nowadays. According to Josephine Ibaseret, the deputy Namutumba Resident District Commissioner, the secured farmlands are part of a targeted 10,000 in the entire local government.
She said the move was prompted by rural-based farmers reporting four to five cases of land grabbing daily.
Ibaseret said some conflicts turn criminal after the warring parties inflict injuries or even kill adversaries for the sake of grabbing land used by families to ensure food security.
She attributed the status quo to population pressure, as the number of residents keeps growing yet the size of land remains constant.
Ibaseret made the revelation during a stakeholders lands meeting on Friday at the district headquarters in Namutumba town, Namutumba district. She said Namutumba farmers often grow rice, cassava, potatoes and simsim, which they use for both domestic and commercial purposes to boost their household incomes.
Patrick Sajjabi, the Mazuba LC1 chairperson, said the age-old practice of using biloowa or plantings as boundary marks has had its disadvantages, as neighbours often uproot them.
“Some people opt for a brick wall or fence to be much safer. However, all these can be damaged over time,” Sajjabi lamented.
Causes of conflict
Sarah Namwase, a rice farmer from Ivukula trading centre, said the wrangles often arise after the death of a family head and everyone scrambles for a piece of the family land.
“At times, relatives want to throw out the widow plus children and grab the farmland. It is such scenarios that are at the centre of numerous land conflicts in Namutumba,” Namwase said.
She cited a scenario last December where a two-acre rice garden was torched by one of the warring parties so as to force the owner to let go of the contested land in Kibaale village.
Ibaseret blamed the wrangles on ignorance of the law by, especially, rural families, with many in need of sensitization.
Lt Denis Mukisa, the district internal security officer, informed the meeting that police were trying to sensitise locals through community liaison arrangements.
David Mukisa, the district chairperson, cited the lack of a land office as one of the reasons such problems arise. “The land officials need somewhere to sit and attend to our people. If our people have nowhere to run and seek advice, then what do you expect?” Mukisa asked.
What others say
Emmanuel Ofwono, the Namutumba Chief Administrative Officer, appreciated the Cadasta Foundation that is working with the lands ministry to help locals get title deeds for their land.
Chris Burke, a project officer with Cadasta, revealed that the first phase of registration and demarcation of local land started in January.
“Our target is 10,000 locals getting certificates of customary ownership in Magada and Ivukula sub-counties. This is anticipated to safeguard locals against land wrangles,” Burke said.
Rose Kauma Kagere, the secretary of the Namutumba district land board, confirmed that so far, 6,000 applications have been received, with 4,421 parcels of land documented.
She said: “I am very happy 72% of these documented farmlands are owned by local women or co-owned. This is in line with the project’s emphasis on gender equality.”
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Namutumba land board members and the CADASTA team during a farmland mapping
exercise at Mazuba village, Namutumba district. Photo by George Bita
