KCCA loses shs34.6b land to encroachers

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has lost up to 36.79 hectares of land valued at 34.664 billion Shillings to encroachers.

The revelation was contained in a report of the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises that was tabled before Parliament on Thursday.

Committee Chairperson Joel Ssenyonyi told parliament that over the years, KCCA neglected to safeguard and take possession of its land which has resulted in squatters encroaching and living on their land.

According to the report, out of the 242 pieces of land measuring approximately 184.818 hectares held, 24 pieces measuring approximately 36.79 hectares had been encroached upon by the local population.
The most affected includes land is in Nakalama and Kasenge which was purchased for the construction of a landfill in 1997.

The report shows that KCCA did not take immediate possession of the said land leading to the grabbing of 64.4 acres (approximately 26 hectares) which are now occupied by squatters. KCCA filed a civil suit against the squatters led by Yosta Masengere & Others and the matter is still pending in court.

The report also showed that KCCA the KCCA land which hosts a demonstration farm in Kyanja also has a collection of squatters, and so is the land in Lusaze which hosts a filled-up cemetery.

The findings were a result of a probe into the Auditor General’s report laid before Parliament on January 19, 2023, on the Financial Statements of KCCA for the Financial Year that ended June 30, 2022.

The Auditor General’s report disclosed that out of the 184 pieces of land measuring approximately 184.818 hectares the entity held, 48 pieces of land measuring approximately 37,755 hectares did not have land titles.

As a way forward, the Committee recommended that KCCA management should secure possession of its land, and keep track of the court proceedings to resolve all forms of third-party claims to ensure uninterrupted utilization of land for service delivery.

COSASE also recommended that Auditor General should, audit all KCCA land in the next subsequent audit.

Soroti District Woman Representative Anna Adeke Ebaju accused KCCA of profiting from the untitled land. Adeke wondered why KCCA would continue to have non-titled land despite having a Land Management Unit, and Legal Department, as well as the whole Executive Director.

Nakasongola North MP Noah Mutebi Wanzala proposed that KCCA, and Uganda Land Commission – ULC which is mandated to effectively hold and manage all government land must be investigated for possible connivance to benefit from the land in question.

The Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Minsa Kabanda and her deputy Kabuye Kyofatogabye were not in the House to respond to the queries raised in the report.