The ministry of Lands has listed 475 land titles” erroneously and illegally” issued in central forest reserves for cancellation.
It follows a complaint from the Executive Director, National Forestry Authority (NFA) to the ministry of lands that a number of people and companies had acquired land titles illegally in forest reserves in the districts of Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi.
According to the assistant commissioner of land registration in the ministry of Lands, Mr. Mugaino Baker, NFA says that certificates of title were erroneously and illegally issued on land forming part and parcel of various
Central Forest Reserves in Uganda.
“This contravenes Article 237 of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and
Section 44 of the Land Act (Cap.227) as amended,”Mugaino said in a public notice issued on August 26.
All those registered in the freehold land titles have been summoned for a public hearing in October.
“This is therefore to invite you pursuant to the provisions of section 91 of the Land Act (Cap.227), that this office shall
proceed to entertain the claim that has been made against you,” Mugaino wrote.
The hearings will take place in Wakiso, Mpigi and Mukono Ministry Zonal Offices (MZOs) where the said land titles were issued.
In Wakiso six land titles have been listed on KyadondomBlock while on Busiro block 118 titles will be affected.
In Mukono and Mpigi a total of 245 titles and 106 titles respectively were listed.
In 2019, NFA recovered 40 hectares (124 acres) of Mabira forest that Mehta Group of Companies had turned into a sugar plantation. after a three year battle.
In 2007, President Museveni, attempted to give out a section of Mabira to Mehta for sugar growing, but the plan was botched after environmentalists and politicians staged demonstrations that resulted in the loss of lives. In 2017, a Joint Water and Environment Sector Review Report, carried out by Ministry of Water and Environment, indicated that the country’s forest cover had dropped to 9 per cent, representing a 3 per cent drop in just two years. The report also revealed that 4,755 hectares of Mabira forest had been degraded and 1,500 hectares of were under restoration. Uganda has 506 central forest reserves managed by NFA which represents 15 per cent of the total forest cover. The other 85 per cent forest cover is managed by local governments, individuals and institutions.
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