Africa-Press – Uganda. Kalangala District’s leaders have launched a plan to formalise tenancy on various public properties located on Buganda Kingdom land, including land donated by individuals. This initiative, a priority for the 2024/25 financial year, aims to secure properties threatened by encroachers and to streamline project funding by ensuring clear land ownership.
The Kalangala District Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Fredrick Ssemogerere, highlighted that the absence of land ownership proof has delayed government project funding, affecting the expansion and construction of health centres and schools.
“We have allocated funds in the 2024/25 budget to legalise and secure land for public facilities,” he said in an interview on Monday, without specifying the amount allocated.
Facilities at risk from encroachers include health units, schools, district headquarters, police, and prisons. Health centres such as Bwendero Health Centre III and Mugoye Health Centre III have missed funding due to a lack of land titles. Kalangala Health Centre IV has also faced ownership disputes, although a recent settlement with private individuals paves the way for future expansion.
“We negotiated with the Kalangala Church of Uganda for a land offer in Bunyama Parish, Bujumba Sub-county. An agreed boundary was established with Muslims who had buildings on contested land,” Mr Ssemwogerere added.
He further said for facilities on Buganda Kingdom land, an assessment and survey will be conducted to meet land title requirements.
The Kabaka’s Chief in Ssese County, Mr Augustine Kasirye, confirmed that agreements on land acreage have been reached with district representatives.
The Kalangala District Chairperson, Mr Rajab Semakula, noted that some schools occupy land donated without formal titles, leading to disputes from descendants and other individuals.
He attributed some land issues to previous managers who allocated large tracts of district land to oil palm growing and other individuals, leaving little room for expanding government institutions.
For instance, in Kyamuswa Sub-county, more than 200 acres on Bukasa Island were leased to private individuals, including district leaders, but this process was halted due to irregularities. Despite attempts to rectify these errors, many tenants reclaimed the land.
Currently, more than 70 percent of land occupied by public institutions in Kalangala District remains untitled.
Untitled land
Land acquisition has become competitive, especially on Bugala Island, where much land was allocated for oil palm growing.
While most land in the district is government-owned, significant portions have been leased to individuals, particularly for palm oil cultivation. The district and the Buganda Kingdom also own portions of the land.
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