Commission grills former Kiboga district land board boss

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Justice Catherine Bamugemereire Land Commission has grilled Ferdinand Iga, the former Kiboga District Land Board Chairperson for extending the lease on Singo Block 812 plot 25 in Kyankwanzi District. Iga is said to have granted Andrew Tendo a full lease of 44 years.

According to information before the Commission, Tendo first acquired a 5-year lease tittle in 1992 and was required to develop the land before he could get a full lease. However, the lease expired in 1997 before Tendo could fulfill the conditions for acquiring a full lease tittle.

He applied for a 10-year lease extension in 2001, which was granted despite having failed to fulfill requirement of the first lease. The Commission Deputy Lead Counsel, John Bosco Suuza tasked Iga to explain the procedures the board took to grant Tendo the lease extension. In response, Iga noted that Tendo applied for a lease extension from the Land Board Secretary, Francis Kabanda who also doubled and district lands officer.

According to Iga, after receiving the application, Kabanda presented it to the rest of the board members at a meeting for consideration. He explained that Kabanda read for the meeting the application and they took a decision based on what he had presented. However, Suuza queried the failure by any of the board members including the Chairperson to personally read the application.

Suuza asked Iga if he sought details of the applicant before effecting the lease extension.

Iga also claimed that the Land Board Members conducted a five-hour inspection of the land and that they were able to meet about 13 people representing families in villages along Singo River.

He explained that the resident told them they were squatters and had no objection on what goes on the land. Iga also said residents declined when they asked them if they could acquire the land legally. He said they had also found a school, parish offices, small trading center and a church.

Suuza questioned their inspection tactics and described Iga as a liar who was fabricating the inspection story. He read an extract of a report on the contested land addressed to the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development by the current Chairman of Kyankwanzi District Land Board Chairperson Leopold Damulira Kinene.

The land under contention measures approximately 777 hectares covering three villages of Mbogo-Bbiri, Kasambya and Bugondi and is home to over 3500 people..

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