Minister Nabakooba tasks District Security Committees to implement directives on Illegal land evictions

Following President Museveni’s directive where he stopped all illegal land eviction, The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba has called upon all Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and Chief Administration Officers CAOs) under the District Security Committees to implement the presidential directive on illegal land evictions across the country.

Minister Nabakooba while addressing the press said that after addressing all RDC on the matter, she is going to issue circulars to guide the implementation of the directive.

“I, therefore, want to call upon the District Security Committees to take note of the President’s directive. I will be issuing a circular to all RDCs and CAOs on implementing this directive. I have already addressed all RDCs on this matter” she said

She called upon the District Security Committees adjust their Terms of Reference to include implementing the Presidential Directive and ensure no land eviction takes place, especially on unregistered or land with tenants on it.

The District Security Committee must ensure “All the necessary guidelines as stated must be followed.

For those paying Busuulu, the rent shall remain basic or nominal because the occupants cannot afford economic rent. This rent was gazetted under Statutory Instrument 2011 No 55” she highlighted

The minister expressed concern that the illegal land eviction target the poor, the voiceless, and the uneducated communities, disrupting their livelihoods and hampering Government programmes aimed at empowering the citizens. She added that on several occasions, these evictions have destroyed property and led to loss of innocent lives.

The Land Act Section 92(1) (e) (as amended) and (5)(a) provides a punishment of 7 years or a fine of one million  nine hundred and twenty thousand for anyone who participates in the eviction of a lawful or bonafide occupant.

The Presidential directives on illegal eviction include the following:  

• No eviction should be allowed to take place in a district without the District Security Committee, chaired by the RDCs, meeting, looking and consulting directly the Minister of Lands.
•  If this is not done and evictions take place, the President will take action on all the Members of the District Security Committee, except the UPDF representative because he/she may not know the substance of the issues involved.
•  His Lordship the Chief Justice to prevail on the Magistrates and Judges from violating the Constitution by illegally evicting people in collusion with land grabbers.
• The Minister of Lands to inform the Attorney General about abuses by Judicial officers so that legal action can be taken on them.

Some of the responsibilities that RDCs must fulfill includes:  

•  To advise the Minister responsible for lands on all eviction related matters reported in their respective districts;
• To comply with implementing the Presidental ban on land evictions;
• To monitor, inspect and report on a monthly basis the land acquired by large scale land investors in order to ensure that land being taken over is not occupied by tenants or customary land owners;
• To carry out the function of District Mediation as provided for in the National Land Policy, 2013 as a means of curbing all evictions.
• To draw the attention to the Ministry of Lands on any divergence from or noncompliance with Government policies, laws and Presidential directives on land evictions.
• Evictions from critical ecological systems, forest reserves and wetlands shall be handled as per cabinet directives. The law provides for a period of 6 months and so measures should be put in place not to cause distress, but move out gradually under proper supervision.