President Museveni has criticised Ugandans who collaborated with foreigners to grab land, saying the practice has left many citizens landless in their own country.
The President also dismissed claims by opposition politicians that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is grabbing land belonging to the Buganda Kingdom, describing such assertions as false and misleading.
He insisted that the NRM fully understands and respects Uganda’s land laws, particularly provisions protecting lawful occupants, kibanja holders, and mailo land tenure.
Museveni made the remarks during a press conference held at his residence in Nakasero on Tuesday evening.
Land remains one of the most persistent challenges facing Ugandans and has featured prominently in political campaigns, especially in Buganda, where cases of land grabbing and illegal evictions are widespread.
Addressing the issue, Museveni traced the origins of land conflicts to the colonial era, saying the problem dates back to the reign of Kabaka Mwanga.
He explained that some Ugandans collaborated with colonial authorities to illegally acquire mailo land, which was later allocated despite the presence of lawful occupants.
“The land problem started a long time ago, after some Ugandans collaborated with the colonialists and grabbed land. Among them was Apollo Kaggwa, who took eight square miles as a reward for betraying Kabaka Mwanga, yet people were already living on that land,” Museveni said.
He added that this historical injustice informed the NRM’s stance on land when it came to power, noting that the government rejected proposals by former President Idi Amin to preserve mailo land arrangements without safeguarding the rights of occupants.
The President criticised what he termed “opportunistic politicians” for exploiting the land question to sow division between the central government and the Buganda Kingdom. He singled out Mukono Municipality MP Betty Nambooze among those he accused of advancing a misleading narrative.
Museveni also condemned individuals who knowingly purchase land that is already occupied, describing them as criminals who have turned Ugandans into squatters.
“People who buy land where there are already occupants are bad people. Why would you buy land that already has people on it? Do you want to rear people? I can rear cattle, not people,” he said.
He further blamed the persistence of land conflicts on leaders who have failed to sensitise citizens about the land law, urging affected communities to stand firm against harassment.
“No one will be evicted from land because the law is in place. The problem is leaders who are negligent and fail to explain to the people what the law actually says,” Museveni noted.
The President acknowledged that while challenges remain, the government—through the Uganda Land Fund—is working to purchase land for lawful occupants, although limited funding continues to constrain the programme.
On security, Museveni reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining peace nationwide, warning that no individual or group would be allowed to destabilise the country.
“No one will be allowed to disrupt peace in this country. Those with evil plans should abandon them. The security forces are strong, and anyone who attempts to cause chaos will face the consequences,” he warned.
At the same press conference, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa introduced several former National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary aspirants who recently withdrew from the race and defected to the NRM.
Those presented included John Atwiine, a former aspirant for Ntoroko County; Kanu, who had been vying for Loamadi County; Gloria Achil, the former NUP woman parliamentary candidate for Madi Okollo District; and Machline Kabugo, a former MP aspirant for Busongola South in Kasese District.
