The Katikkiro of Buganda, Charles Peter Mayiga, has defended the Mailo land tenure system while attributing persistent land disputes in Uganda to governance failures, slow institutional response, and interference in land administration rather than flaws in the system itself.
Speaking during a press briefing marking his 13 years in office, Mayiga said land remains one of the most valuable and contested assets in Buganda and across Uganda, with disputes often escalating into violence and loss of life.
“Government institutions like the land protection unit in Police take long to investigate because of under facilitation, political interference, and courts also take long to address land disputes,” he said.
He added that inefficiencies in land offices, slow adjudication of cases by courts, population growth, and political interference even after court rulings have all contributed to rising land conflicts.
Mayiga dismissed claims that Buganda Kingdom land has been unlawfully taken, stating that the Kingdom owns only about five percent of land in Buganda, while the central government owns most of the land, alongside private individuals.
“Buganda owns only 5% of the land in the kingdom. The central government owns most of the land,” he said.
He further noted that many government institutions, including military installations and courts, are located on Buganda land, with some paying lease while others pay rent.
“Many of the government institutions including military installations and courts are on Buganda land. Some pay lease, others rent,” Mayiga added.
He, however, acknowledged that some Kingdom land is currently occupied by government facilities, expressing hope that formal arrangements for acquisition or compensation would be concluded.
He also cited delays in restitution of what he referred to as 9,000 mailo and 1,500 forest land holdings.
Reflecting on his tenure, Mayiga highlighted achievements in agriculture, particularly coffee production initiatives aimed at improving household incomes, as well as progress in education, including school development and steps toward a charter for Muteesa Royal University.
He also pointed to improvements in health infrastructure through hospitals and clinics.
Despite these gains, he said challenges remain unresolved, noting that he would not be satisfied until they are addressed.
At the beginning of the year, Mayiga launched the “Situla” initiative aimed at improving livelihoods and encouraging productivity among people in Buganda.
He outlined six key factors contributing to land grabbing in Uganda: inefficient land offices across the country, slow operations of the police land protection unit due to poor facilitation, delays in court adjudication of land cases, population growth, and political interference in land matters even where courts have issued rulings.