By Isaac Tayebwa,
KAMPALA
Businessman Ham Kigundu has appealed to the Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga to institute reforms at the Buganda Land Board to tackle alleged fraud by some officials at the organisation.
Speaking after a meeting called by the Ministry of Lands to discuss an ongoing conflict between Kiggundu and the Buganda Land Board over land in Kigo, Kiggundu said there were officials at the Buganda Land Board using the Kabaka’s name to grab the kingdoms land, and land belonging to ordinary people.
“These people are using the power of their offices to grab land belonging to Buganda and Baganda. I humbly appeal to the Katikkiro to take an interest in this matter and institute reforms before these people turnish the image of the kingdom,” Kiggundu said.
“They have also tried to grab my land by claiming that I connived with officers at Wakiso District Land Board to grab the Kabaka’s land in Kigo. They have done this through blackmail, threats and character assasination in the media. As a Muganda, I cannot differ from the aspirations of Buganda or even fight with my King. Its the people I am talking about who are the problem,” he added.
Kiggundu’s appeal follows the resurrection of a land dispute at Kigo after Buganda Land Board officials petitioned the Commissioner Land Registration to cancel Ham’s titles accusing him of overlapping Kabaka’s Mailo with freehold titles.
Through his lawyers, Muwema and Company advocates, Kiggundu asserts that he is the rightful owner of the land that he legally obtained from Wakiso district land board.
“The talk about freehold titles overlapping Mailo must have begun after BLB applied to amend the boundaries of block 273 during the creation of a lease in favour of Serena on plot 23042- that explains why Serena holds land under two tenure systems on Mailo land, 37.30 acres and on former public land- 95.34 acres currently owned by our client,” Muwema said.
“We maintain that our client’s titles do not overlap Kabaka’s Mailo.”
He further said that Kiggundu’s land is situated on public land and that Wakiso district issued the land titles with an acreage of 241.56 acres on plot 23720, Block 273. However, on ground there is only 95.34 acres.
The disputed land is situated between Serena-Kigo and Mirembe Villas land, off Munyonyo Spur Road, and extends inwards sharing common boundaries with Serena-Kigo, Mirembe Villas and the Lake. Usable acreage is 78.086 acres whereas 15.236 acres incorporates access roads.
Kiggundu proposed that a joint boundary opening exercise of both the freehold land titles comprised of Kyadondo Block 273 Plots 23974, 23975, 23976, 23977 and the Kabaka’s Private Mailo land comprised of Kyadondo Block 273 Plots 87, 99,110 be carried out to seek clarifications and ascertain the true location of both properties and as a way of confirmation that the two properties are separate, do not overlap into one another.
Ham clarified that he didn’t at any one time want to tussle with the Kabaka for the fact that he’s a Muganda with high respect for the Kabaka and because initially he didn’t have enough information about who exactly he was fighting but now that he knows the people trying to steal his land, he could say something on the issue.
Hamis Kiggundu came out and named names of people who are used to steal land in Buganda Land Board that include Bashir Kizito who doubles as the District Staff Surveyor Wakiso District and the head of Surveying, Buganda Land Board who is said to be the one that does reports, and approves land reports at the district level and as well verifies them with Buganda Land Board, something Ham says is unbecoming for a person to have that much power in the land matters. Ham called on the office of the Inspector General of Government to look into this matter.
Ham also divulged a lady he referred to as Rema who he alleged to have colluded with other people and sold off 320acres of Kabaka’s land in Kiggo to some Chinese whom he alleges that want to as well sell his land to the same guys that own the Golf Course in Kiggo.
Ham revealed another person, Dennis Bugaya that he termed as a thief that does all the legal forgery and does the “malice, blackmail and sabotage ” in the media of anyone that tries to come out and fight for their land rights.
Ham also revealed a gentleman called Kaboggoza who he said sits in Mengo and is responsible for signing all the forged paperwork to accomplish the deals of stealing people’s land in Buganda Land Board.
The city tycoon wondered how a freehold title can be got on Kabaka’s land, something that reeks of total forgery.
Ham revealed that he has too much love and respect for the Kabaka to be fighting the institution of Buganda Kingdom and Uganda as a whole and called on Ugandans to love their country before anything.
