The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, has directed residents living on the disputed Kyaka I refugee settlement land in Kyegegwa District to begin the process of acquiring formal land titles.The directive covers residents in Rwentuha, Kazinga and parts of Mpara Town Council who have occupied the land for years.Nabakooba made the announcement during a visit to Kazinga Primary School in Kazinga Town Council on Sunday, November 9, assuring residents that the government supports their efforts to secure legal ownership of the land.“The President made it clear that you are not to be evicted from this land,” Nabakooba said. “It is now time to formalise ownership.
Start the application process for your land titles, and my Ministry will work with you every step of the way.”The disputed land covers about five square miles across Rwentuha Sub-county, Kazinga Town Council and parts of Mpara Town Council.Nabakooba instructed Kyegegwa District Chairperson John Kisoke Byamukama to work with the District Land Board, District Surveyor and Area Land Committees to facilitate the collection and submission of land title applications by residents.“Once your applications are in, I will send a technical team from the Ministry to carry out systematic land adjudication and certification,” she said.The minister’s announcement is expected to ease concerns among residents who had remained uncertain about the future of the land, despite an earlier directive by President Yoweri Museveni allowing them to remain there.The land dispute dates back to January 2024, when Museveni directed the Ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees to secure 10 square miles from the Kyaka I and Kyaka II refugee settlements for industrial development.
However, during a visit to Migamba Sub-county on October 13, 2024, Museveni reversed the decision following appeals from local residents and leaders.The President made the announcement at Sooba Primary School Playground after meeting more than 130,000 affected residents.Kyaka South MP and Deputy Attorney General Jackson Kafuuzi Karugaba had appealed to the President to allow the affected residents to retain the land.Following the reversal, residents welcomed the decision but continued to call for official documentation to guarantee their ownership.The Lands Ministry is now expected to begin the next phase, involving land demarcation, surveying, adjudication and eventual issuance of land titles. The exercise is expected to commence in early 2026.
