22nd January 2008
1. APG, met in the Parliament House yesterday 21st January 2008, and deliberated on several issues affecting Acholi sub-region and Uganda as a whole. The meeting was well attended and the discussions were open, frank and honest.
2. The meeting resolved that its spokesperson will be the APG chairman and any statement which does not emanate from the office or person of the chairman, unless duly authorized, shall not be attributed to APG.
3. APG rejects The Land (Amendment) Bill 2007 in its entirety on the following grounds:
a. The Bill, if passed into Law as it is, will subject the whole country and all types of land to eviction.b. Clause 32 B of the Bill is unconstitutional. Under Article 237 (8) and (9) Parliament is only mandated to make laws regulating relationship between landlords and lawful and bona fide occupants of mailo, freehold and leased land - i.e. registered land. Clause 32 B of the Bill is, therefore, clearly intended to put up for grabs the 9,000 square miles in Buganda and the entire land under customary tenure in Eastern, Northern and Western Uganda.
c. Government should immediately withdraw the Bill and instead come up with comprehensive land policy proposals to be debated and agreed upon by the whole country in a public dialogue. It is only after a good land policy is put in place that the Land Act will be appropriately amended.
d. Beyond legalizing the statement between the landlords and the tenants on registered land, the Bill does not offer any solution to the land problems in the country. Piece-meal or ad hoc amendments of the Land Act cannot, therefore be the way forward.
4. APG considered the recent rantings of the Lands Minister, Hon. Omara Atubo, about Acholi land and wishes to briefly state as follows:
a. Hon. Omara Atubo has neither mandate nor capacity to warn any Members of Parliament (MPs) from Acholi sub-region. b. As far as Acholi land issues are concerned, APG has raised the stake much higher than the level of Omara Atubo.
i. On 18th December, 2007, APG met the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister together with the Madhvani Group, which is interested in land in Amuru, and a position was agreed. This position was communicated to President Museveni the same day.
ii. The following day, 19th December, 2007, President Museveni met with various categories of Acholi leaders, including MPs, at the Gulu Barracks, and again a position was agreed upon.
c. It is, therefore, surprising that Hon. Omara Atubo has continued to behave as if his two bosses, mentioned above, are not handling the matter. Is this not an act of insurbordination?
d. Hon. Omara Atubo must stop abusing his office by writing intimidating letters to Amuru District Land Board, or any other District Land Board in Acholi sub-region for that matter, to allocate land to the so-called investors. The land boards must conduct their business freely without any direction from any person or authority.
5. Amuru District Land Board is hereby advised that:
a. Neither the Constitution nor the Land Act 1998 vests any land in it. The Law on this matter is very clear and where the Board is not sure it should consult before taking any decision or action.b. The Public Land Ac t 1969 was repealed by the Land Act 1998, and with it went the concept of Public land. There is no more Public Land anywhere in Uganda because the Constitution vests the land in the citizens. In this regard, the Public statement made by the Board on 17th January 2008 is regrettable and not in accordance with the Law.
6. The Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) working in Acholi sub-region, including that of Amuru, are called upon to desist forthwith from interfering in land matters. The office of the RDC has no role to play in land matters. Those who will not heed this timely advice will have only themselves to blame.
Hon. Okello-Okello (MP)
CHAIRMAN, ACHOLI PARLIAMENTARY GROUP
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