Opinion: Lands Ministry On Right Track In Settling Buganda-Hamis Kiggundu Land Issues
Hamis Kiggundu And Kabaka Of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi
David Serumaga
Kampala: Shannon L. Alder, a conflict resolution scholar once said that “Sometimes, God doesn’t send you into a battle to win it, he sends you to end it.” This saying applies to a letter from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, addressed to Buganda Land Board and a Businessman, Hamis Kiggundu titled “Overlaps between Kyadondo Block 273 Plot 38 (Mailo Title) and Kyadondo Block 273 Plot 23974, 23976 and 23977”.
In the same letter, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is calling both parties to take part in the boundary opening of the said land as a way of resolving what had been an escalating land matter.
One would wonder why the public particularly Baganda are more concerned about this land yet it does not belong to all of us. Those who have been attacking us should know that we are Baganda and anything that tries to disrupt our King, also disrupts us all.
When this matter came into the public domain, officials from Buganda Land Board had accused Ham Kiggundu of illegally acquiring Kabaka’s land.
Kiggundu who had just started to develop the land was summoned to Mengo where he accepted to leave the said land not because he had pleaded guilty but due to the respect, he has for Ssabasajja Kabaka, he thought it wise not to go in any legal battle like other indiscipline people we have seen.
Before going to Mengo, Kiggundu had requested Buganda Land Board to participate in boundary mapping which would help both parties to physically separate and differentiate between Mailo and Freehold land but the request was rejected.
His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II Kabaka has always encouraged us to remain peaceful and promote harmony as a way of building our kingdom.
How I wish officials from the Kingdom more so Buganda Land Board had implemented Ssabasajja Kabaka’s campaign but in Kiggundu’s case, even after him leaving the Kigo land, they went ahead to write letters to the Commissioner Land Registration asking Kiggundu to appear before the commission to answer questions about the same land he had decided to quit in respect to Ssabasajja Kabaka.
Why would someone who requested boundary mapping, which was objected then sought for reconciliation be pushed to the wall moreover a fellow Muganda?
We would not want to lose our people on just simple matters which would have been handled professionally and within the kingdom.
What happened to the native courts where anyone who had any question to answer would be summoned, given a fair hearing and if found guilty then punished? You can imagine someone of Kiggundu’s calibre can be rejected when seeking justice then what about the voiceless Kabaka’s subjects.
Buganda Kingdom should do whatever it can to protect our King because he does not need to appear in such matters which would have been solved within the Kingdom.
Now that it is in the public and the Ministry of Lands has advised both parties to take part in boundary opening and mapping, we are hoping that the findings will end the matter.
We appreciate the Ministry’s decision because it is aimed at promoting justice and wiping out illegalities in BLB.
However, even though this matter is likely to come to an end, I humbly request our Katikiro, Owek. Charles Peter Mayiga to immediately intervene and contain this matter.
This is the right time to scrutinize individuals who use Ssabasajja Kabaka’s name to oppress Kabakas’s subjects by evicting them from their land.
This habit had risen in the areas of Luwero but recently it reduced. Our King cannot chase away his people because we are the Kingdom and the Kingdom must protect its King. That is why we shall face whoever tries to undermine him within or outside the kingdom.
