Bujumba county MP Julius Mukasa Opondo

Bujumba County MP, Julius Mukasa Opondo, has asked government to withdraw the contentious land bill which seeks to amend Article 26 of the Constitution to allow government to take compulsory possession of private land to build infrastructure and investment projects without going through compensation disputes.

The Constitution Amendment Bill 2017 on land is currently under scrutiny by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee. 

But Mukasa argues that land is the biggest immovable asset that can enable a person in any part of Uganda make money or acquire a loan from a bank to overcome any challenge that requires cash.

He adds that by government seeking to take over one’s land without compensation purportedly for its projects is unfair and should not be accepted however beneficial those projects can be.

Mukasa also cautioned fellow MPs not to support the compulsory acquisition of land by government, warning that their land too cannot be spared more so when they leave parliament or develop any difference with the government in power.