By Sylvia
Residents from four villages of Butebe Ward in Fort Portal North division have appealed to the government to cancel a land title block 63 plot 20 and 21 belonging to the late Crescent Baguma a former business man in Fort portal following eviction threats.
The land title in question, measures 24 hectares occupied 31 homes all in villages of Butebe – Kinyamahamba – Mukabura and Mbuzi all in Butebe ward.
The whole genesis
It all started when a section of residents occupying the land in question, approached the city lands committee, seeking to secure land titles on the same land.
They were however shocked to learn that that late Baguma had already secured a land title in 2008, on the exact land they claim was inherited to them by their late great grandfathers.
It was from this background that residents led by Happy Stephen, Michael Musana, Paddy Kyomuhendo, Mwesige Charles, Benjamin Mwebaze, Sanyu William and many others ran to the office of the division mayor, His worship Joseph Mashuhuko, seeking redress on the matter.
In response, the division organized a meeting, where it was discovered that in 2008, the then Kabarole district lands board wrote to Karambi Sub county area lands committee to carry out an inspection and ascertain ownership rights of Mr. Baguma Crescent on the said land, and clearly indicate his adjacent neighbors which the committee never did.
Nonetheless when asked, the lawyer of Baguma’s family how his client secured the land in Block 60 plot 20 &21, Counsel Herbart Kwikiriza, didn’t give a satisfactory answer nor did he prove his client’s ownership of the land.
Observably, It was only the area LC1 chairperson who had signed, and none of the adjacent neighbors were involved.
In a harmonization meeting with the security, North division leaders, late Crescent’s family and residents of Butebe, agreed that since the family of late Crescent couldn’t prove ownership of the land for which their late father secured a title, a caveat be instated on the land as steps to cancel ownership of the title commence.
Meanwhile, as they were releasing a conclusive report on the land on boundary opening yesterday, Joseph Mashuhuhuko, said the division has already started a process to write to the state house anti-corruption unit, IGG and the ministry of ethics and integrity to investigate all implicated officers from the Kabarole lands commission as well the local council committee in land from Karambi ward who have already confessed to conniving with the district lands office to issue a fraudulent land title.
