This week the central government returned to Buganda 213
land titles that it had its possession in an ongoing process of thawing of an
uneasy relationship.
The government appropriated these and other lands that
belonged to the kingdom when a contest of wills between then prime minster
Milton Obote and Kabaka Mutesa II, the then president, tilted in the former’s
favour.
"The invasion of the Lubiri in 1966, the abolition of the Kingdoms and the abrogation of the 1962 constitution resulting from this fallout, triggered a series of events key of which, the rise to power Idi Amin, plunged Uganda into two decades of insecurity and instability that we are only just recovering from...
The return of the properties were prompted by a combination
of the pragmatism on the government’s part and sustained pressure from the
Mengo establishment.
From a purely politically perspective it is not difficult to
rationalise government’s holding on to the properties and the timing of their
release now.
Mengo provides arguably the most coherent organised group
outside of the NRM in Uganda today. While dominated by the landed gentry of the
kingdom, and therefore at odds with the thousands of official and unofficial on
their vast land holdings, they symbolise the will of the Kabaka. The perception
is that they can marshall the tribe to a cause of their choice and as a result
it would be full hardy to be at odds with them.
With this in mind reinstating the kingdom’s lands, it was
thought, would be like handing Mengo the trigger to cause mischief. Their tacit
support for opposition presidential candidates since 1996 has only served to
discourage the NRM’s hardliners from doing business with Mengo.
It is not clear what has changed now to allow government
relinquish this bargaining chip.
"One can speculate that the NRM after years of building a nationwide political base feel confident enough to release the land. Or that the lands are so encumbered now that by the time Mengo is done with liberating their estates enough water will have gone under the bridge and the antagonism would have died down. Or that concessions were made by either side not to act aversely to others interests as condition for the release....
Attorney General Peter Nyombi said the titles released
constitute 60 percent of the land due to Mengo.
The political calculations aside this development is
a positive one for the country as a whole.
The fact that the government has been holding on to these
titles suggests that the economic potential of the holdings has not been
properly utilised all these years. With the titles now liberated one can expect
that the full economic potential of these lands will be unlocked generating
jobs, boosting economic activity and increasing tax revenues.
A selfless administration of the land can also see some of
the proceeds going towards the improvement of social services in the region, a
useful tool to lowering poverty levels in central Uganda.
It is possible that there will be some hurt feelings as the
kingdom moves to consolidate its properties and one hopes these can be handled
delicately. The rapprochement between government and Mengo is good for the
country as a whole and opens up numerous avenues for collaboration in taking
this country forward.
