The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has assured residents of Kyankwanzi District that the government will not evict families who have occupied their land for decades, following concerns raised during the recent re-opening of boundaries for central forest reserves.
Nabbanja said the meeting was held on the directive of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to address grievances from residents whose land was reportedly annexed into the Tala, Luwunga, and Kikonda Central Forest Reserves during the boundary re-opening exercise.
The Prime Minister reassured affected communities that the government recognizes their long-standing occupation and will not carry out evictions on land they have lived on for many years.
“We assured the residents that they will not be evicted from the land they have been occupying for decades,” Nabbanja said, emphasizing the government's commitment to protecting citizens’ land rights.
However, she relayed the President’s message cautioning residents against encroaching on gazetted forest reserves. President Museveni, she noted, urged communities to respect protected areas and instead focus on using their land productively to improve household incomes.
Nabbanja later interacted with residents of Kiyuuni and Kyereere villages, who had previously been evicted from land they were occupying. She explained that the government last year acquired the land from the landlord on behalf of the tenants and that the process of issuing individual land titles to the affected households is currently underway.
According to the Prime Minister, the move is intended to secure tenure for the residents and prevent future land disputes.
“These actions demonstrate the President’s and the NRM’s long-standing commitment to protecting the land rights of all Ugandans,” Nabbanja said.