By Ndawula Ronald
In a country where the powerful are chasing more power and the rich are pursuing more riches, the weak are becoming weaker the country seems to be in auto drive and a heightened struggle for survival.
I recently read news of Hon. Speaker being taken to Seattle Washington for treatment on our new Boeing 747 at a whopping 1.7billion!
The amount can be justified if we can save the life of the Hon Speaker because nothing can be equated to life anyway.
Hospitals have been ripping off patients charging millions of shillings per day for a covid doze which is less than shillings 70,000=
It is imperative to address these issues as a country in order to have a fairly equitable welfare strategy.
People like Hon Oulanya are a resource to this country as many others.
Some don’t have the positions to warrant being airlifted at 1.7 billion but their lives are equally important to this country, therefore, we should be proactive to organize resources to build capacity and potential to address the social services.
In talking about equity, I mean leveling the ground for everyone.
I loved Hon. Mininster Sam Mayanja’s approach in settling the age old land crisis in Uganda.
Powerful people have been positioned and using their leverage to deprive the weak of their land and property with impunity.
Cases of double titling where one piece of land has several Titles all issued by government has been very disturbing.
You didn’t need to require to purchase but crack a deal with land officials and boom… you have a title on top of a title of a weak man.
Kaaya ranch was owned by the late Kaaya who single handedly provided cows to the NRM revolution.
His land was taken by V.P Sekandi and many other dealers and new titles created on top of the original lease from Uganda land commission.
I was impressed when Hon. Min.Mayanja ordered for cancellation of the title of the former vice president without fear or favor!
This is a landmark and an unprecedented action deserving recognition and a moment of silence in Uganda where the weak can regain what truly is theirs and the powerful can go to court or hell for compensation of, if they’re found not privy or accessories to the fraud.
In another incident in Luwero, government issues a lease of 46 years in 1980 and another in 2001 which again becomes a freehold in 2015 when the original lease of 1980 is running!
The Minister Mayanja went on ground and explained the various issues pertaining to land ownership and there and then sorted, and put to rest a decade old controversy and ordered the cancellation of titles which were made on top of a running lease without the families paying a dime!
If the families explained to you the trouble they have gone through and money they have lost to the land officers claiming good Samaritans and ripping their money yet are taking them further from their rightful inheritance you would be amazed.
In the most interesting scenario in Nansana, the Minister Mayanja goes to Nansana having received a complaint from indian investors about people who had refused to vacate 170 acres of their land!
The Minister in an unprecedented move, turned against the purported investors who wanted to evict bonafide residents yet they had reported the case to him!
These moves by Dr. Mayanja a Professor of Laws and the minister, makes him one of the most informed, widely knowledgeable, effective, hardworking, practical, pragmatic, realistic and incorruptible Minister who has ever sat in this ministries docket.
Dr. Mayanjas lectures to the public and his endeavors to reach the crisis zones without fear or favor is what this country can do to address oppressive actions , mediocre service delivery by the government officers and will improve the quality of service delivery.
If all Ministers and leaders put their time and visit locus points like hospitals, markets, roads etc we would have less people complaining of lack of medicines in hospitals and the standards of services will be better in the long run.
The Minister has demonstrated that problems can be solved instantly and eventually the powerful are going to get scared to perform their greedy adventures which will eventually reduce pressure on courts and violence.
This Minister has proved he is not a fisherman we call others to follow suit.
The author Ndawula Ronald is the former chairman of Luwero district
