The Kyapa Mungalo drive of the Buganda Land Board of the Buganda Kingdom, the largest first nation of Uganda, seems to have registered massive success. Why else the recommendation to abolish Mailo land tenure?

Whereas, the Bamugemereire Commission has denied recommending the abolition of Mailo, nevertheless, the Buganda Kingdom is putting up a spirited fight against the adoption and implementation of the recommendation, wherever it came from. The Buganda Kingdom, which owns most of the land under Mailo, has warned the Central Government of Uganda that “any attempt to scrap the Mailo land tenure system would be met with outright resistance.”

Leadership is needed now by the cultural leaders of other first nations of Uganda, particularly those whose land is held under customary tenure: the Iteso – 5^th largest, the Langi – 6^th largest, the Acholi – 8^th largest and all the others. An estimated 80 percent of Uganda’s land is currently held under customary tenure. Where is the Teso Land Board? Where is the Lango Land Board? Where is the Acholi Land Board? Do such boards exist? If they do, why are they not as pronounced and as loud as the Buganda Land Board?

Time is now for the cultural leaders of other first nations of Uganda to emulate Buganda by establishing significant and operational land boards and to insist on the EVOLUTION of our customary land tenure systems and other knowledge systems that our ancestors bequeathed us; and to resist the conversion of our customary tenure into other types of tenure.

In accordance with the laws of Uganda, if you are not a traditional cultural institution or you are not representing a traditional cultural institution you have no legitimacy whatsoever to discuss conversion of land that is held under customary tenure into other types of tenure. So, why is everybody else discussing conversion of customary tenure and the legitimate authorities are not?

Or are the legitimate authorities doing so and their voices are being overshadowed by the louder voices of those seeking to commercialise our land? If that be the case, our cultural leaders need to organize and to strengthen their collective voice to demand that the provisions in the Uganda National Land Policy that promote the evolution of customary tenure are implemented.

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