By Samuel Mwesigwa
Mailo land in Buganda is sentimental like kingship in other kingdoms or religious beliefs because it’s rooted from the time of the foreign masters who allocated land in Buganda, Mailo system and in Busoga, free hold land title system.
He says government should first engage Buganda kingdom before deciding on the fate of mailo land system in Uganda.
Muvawala also says that in Busoga this system was rejected by the then Kyabazinga the late HRH Wako Kandumbura Nadiope. Owek.Muvawala says that here Busoga lost.
“ Busoga we lost a lot, Buganda has used this system to negotiate for government privileges which Busoga hasn’t done to an extent that even the district leaders are using this chance to miss allocate the land owned by Busoga kingdom” Owek. Muvawala.
The issue of Milo land forced the president to convene an urgent meeting with the kabaka of Buganda HRH Ronald Muwenda Mutebi at state house Nakasero after just three days of the Kabaka 28th coronation where he barked at government claiming the intentions behind this move is against the security and development of Buganda kingdom.
The minister of land housing and National housing, Hon. Judith Nabakooba confirmed ministry`s position on the Bibanja owners saying many of them are not safe unless they get genuine land tiles as proposed by the state minister ministry of lands , Hon. Samuel Mayanja.
The Lands ministry is committed to settle land conflicts and that it has started with the contentious Buganda mailo land, the minister said.
Uganda’s housing situation is characterized by inadequate homes in terms of quality and quantity in both rural and urban areas. The housing deficit stands at 2.4 million housing units, out of which 210,000 units are in urban areas and 1.395 million units in rural areas.
An estimated 900,000 units are substandard and in need of replacement or upgrading. By 2022, Uganda’s population is projected to be about 48 million. The population growth is expected to require more than 3 million more housing units meaning if the government doesn’t handle the land wrangles it will affect almost half of the population.