Mayiga: "If the Buganda Land Board is illegal, so is the central government" 

Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga has responded to President Museveni’s remarks that the Buganda Land Board is an illegal entity.

In a letter sent to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Executive early this month, President Museveni ordered his camp to resist Buganda Land Board schemes, saying that the set up is “illegal.”

Mayiga, while addressing a gathering at Bulange, Mengo said that the Buganda Land Board is recognised in the country’s Constitution, and that if it illegal, everything else is also illegal, including the government.

“If the Buganda Land Board is illegal, it means that the Companies Act is also illegal, the Constitution is illegal, Parliament is illegal and the government is illegal,” Mayiga said.

Mayiga said that the Buganda Land Board was launched by the Kabaka, in line with the authority that he is given by the traditional norms, which are recognised by the Constitution.

According to the Buganda Land Board website, the company is entrusted to manage Buganda Kingdom land that was returned under the Restitution of Assets and Properties Act 1993, Cap. 247 which included the 350 sq. miles and over 300 sq. miles returned in the agreement signed between the President of Uganda and Kabaka in August 2013.

Katikkiro urged government to stop “creating problems” and rather focus on strengthening capacity of security forces to investigate land matters.

This is the second time in a period of one year that the Buganda Kingdom finds itself at loggerheads with the government.

President Museveni, during the Heroes Day celebrations at Kololo in June expressed dismay at the century old Mailo land tenure system common in Buganda kingdom stating that it’s "an evil system."

Mayiga then said that Museveni’s comments “were misguided.”