The Lands and Housing Minister, Judith Nabakooba has halted and directed the reinstatement of over 50 bibanja owners living on contested land at Nakalanga village, Njeru municipality in Buikwe district.
This follows a petition to Parliament by the Bibanja owners led by their woman Member of Parliament, Diana Mutasingwa.
The affected families accused their landlords John Nkuutu and John Nyende of seizing their land and forcing them to either buy off the land at Shillings 15 million or vacate it. The ruthless landlords gave them two weeks ultimatum to buy the land or face eviction.
In a latest development, Nabakooba has has not only cancelled all contracts entered between the warring parties but warned the landlords against forcing people to buy and cut off their bibanjas.
She instead asked landlords to allow the residents to pay the annual ground rate, which is affordable.
“Whatever you did without the will of these people is nullified. Therefore I order you to let these people use their bibanja and pay Busuulu as they have always done,” Nabakooba ordered Wednesday in a meeting at Nakalanga UMEA Primary School in Wakisi, Buikwe district.
Bukiwe Woman Member of Parliament, Diana Mutasingwa accused some leaders of conniving with rich people to grab people’s land.
‘‘The business of people working with local leaders to illegally sell land and evict people shall not be allowed,” she said. The contested land measuring 552 acres comprises Block no 77, plot 30, in Nakalanga allegedly belonged to the late Zirabamuzaale Yekoyani who sold it to James Nyende.