Residents facing land evictions have been urged not to abandon their homes but to stand firm and seek protection from authorities, as government intensifies efforts to curb rising land grabbing incidents. The State Minister for Lands, Sam Mayanja, made this call during a community meeting with residents of Banda village in Wakiso District.
Mayanja advised citizens to remain on their land and involve police whenever they are threatened with eviction, noting that fleeing only makes it easier for illegal evictors to destroy property.
“Do not leave your land. Stay there and wait for the police. This will help stop those who come to evict you and destroy your property,” Mayanja said.
He emphasized the importance of unity among communities, urging residents to work together to resist land grabbers and protect their property.
“When people come together, it becomes harder for land grabbers to intimidate and evict them unlawfully,” he added.
The Minister was responding to concerns raised by a group of elderly residents who claim they were forcefully evicted from their three-acre land by businessman Augustine Kateba.
According to the affected families, the dispute began after the death of their father, the late Ssentamu Samson. They allege that Nava Dorothy Walusimbi later claimed ownership of the land and demanded that they purchase it something they could not afford.
They further claim that a surveyor, Isaac Lubega, was brought in to subdivide the land and promised them land titles, which have never been issued despite their continued occupation of the land for over five years.
Local leader Mathias Birungi Ssemujju said the victims are now living in distressing conditions.
“These elderly people have nowhere to stay and no food after being evicted from their land,” he said.
During the meeting, Mayanja sensitized residents about their land rights and legal protections before directing that the affected families return to their land as investigations continue.
He also called on Ugandans to remain vigilant and united in defending their property from fraudulent individuals.
“Ugandans must stand together and defend their land from people who use deceit to grab property,” Mayanja stressed.
The Minister’s intervention comes at a time when land disputes remain a widespread challenge across Uganda, often leaving vulnerable families homeless and without livelihoods.