Minister Mayanja resolves longstanding land conflicts in Masindi
Minister Mayanja reaffirmed the government's commitment to safeguarding land rights and ensuring lawful land use across the country.
Masindi: State Minister for Lands Sam Mayanja has successfully intervened in and resolved several longstanding land conflicts affecting communities in Kigulya and Nyangahya Divisions of Masindi Municipality.
The minister’s visit followed a formal request from Hon. Dr. Balaam Barugahara, the State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, who had received multiple petitions from aggrieved residents seeking government intervention.
For years, communities in the affected areas have been embroiled in bitter land disputes, including; Kigulya Catholic Church vs Kigulya Primary School, Kaleraimairo Church of Uganda vs Godfrey Musindi, involving a 22-hectare land claim and Biizi Primary School vs Godfrey Bitatule, over alleged land grabbing.
On Thursday, Minister Mayanja held a series of mediation meetings aimed at resolving the disputes amicably.
The first engagement took place at Kigulya Primary School, where Minister Mayanja and Dr. Balaam met with representatives of Kigulya Catholic Church and the school.
The land in contention was under dispute by both government institutions.
Dr. Balaam guided the two parties on the land boundaries, while Minister Mayanja encouraged them to consent to an equitable solution.
“Since both parties are government entities, cooperation is in the best interest of the community,” the minister noted.
Following this advice, both the school and the church agreed to share the land equally, and Minister Mayanja gave a three-month deadline to finalize the demarcation process.
The minister later visited Biizi Primary School, where residents accused Godfrey Bitatule of illegally occupying two hectares of school land, which includes the school’s playground.
Minister Mayanja began by sensitizing the community on land rights, citing Act 28 of 2022 on Presidential Directives and Limitation Act Section 5.
“According to existing land laws, the residents and school have a right to this land. No one will be evicted,” the minister assured the crowd.
He instructed the school management to continue using the contested land and promised to issue official documents formalizing the directive. He also pledged that government would offer free land titles to protect public land from encroachment.
During the meeting, a resident reported that Godfrey Bitatule had allegedly issued death threats related to the dispute. In response, Minister Mayanja ordered the District Police Commander (DPC) to arrest Bitatule immediately.
Residents expressed gratitude for the minister’s swift and firm intervention.
“We thank Minister Mayanja for standing with us and protecting our land. His leadership gives us hope,” one resident told our reporter.
Minister Mayanja reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding land rights and ensuring lawful land use across the country.
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