Residents in the rural communities of Masaka are living in fear of displacement due to escalating land conflicts that have coincided with ongoing political campaigns. The threatened residents are primarily in Katwadde Ward, Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City, and their neighbours in Ssunga Ward, Bukakata Sub-County, Masaka District.
According to locals, suspicious landlords are taking advantage of the busy campaign period to invade their areas and attempt to evict them from the land. Jerome Lukwago, a resident of Nyondo Village in Bukakata Sub-County, says at least a dozen families are living in fear after being served eviction notices.
He narrates that in November last year, a businessman claiming to be an army officer approached residents and laid claims over land they have occupied for decades. Lukwago says the claimant gave them an ultimatum of sixty days to either pay for land titles or face eviction from close to 200 acres of land.
Residents reported their fears to elected leaders at the local government level, but the matter has yet to receive adequate attention. Pellegrino Bikanyuulo, Chairperson of Njumaga Cell, Katwadde Ward, also observes that at least ten residents face eviction by people claiming ownership of the land they occupy.
He explains that, being at the boundary of the city, with large tracts of unoccupied land, the area has become a target for land grabbers. “In recent times, we have received three individuals presenting suspicious freehold certificates, requesting vacant possession of land already used by residents for settlement and farming,” Bikanyuulo says.
Josephine Nalukwago, one of the affected residents at Njumaga Ward, says part of her 7-acre plot was recently fenced off by agents of an unnamed military officer intending to establish a ranch in the area.
“These people are coming with land titles which we have not seen before. We are living in great fear,” she said.
Mariam Kaberuka, Deputy Masaka City Resident Commissioner in charge of Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, says their office has not yet formally received complaints but will follow up on the matter. Meanwhile, Juliet Kakande Nakabuye, Masaka City Woman MP, indicates that land disputes are prevalent in the area, particularly in zones recently annexed to the city.
According to her, many of these disputes are orchestrated by small groups of individuals who operate behind the cover of authority.
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