President Museveni to appoint a Land Acquisition Tribunal

By Charles Katabalwa

20^th March 2019

Government has dropped the plan for the forceful acquisition of private land for infrastructural development projects.

This follows public outcry over the draft policy that was presented by the lands minister Betty Amongi.

Under the initial proposal, the government wanted to take over the land and deposit with the court, any compensation awarded to a dissatisfied property owner as determined by the government valuer, pending determination of the matter.

Lands Minister Betty Amongi says that the government is in the process of introducing an amendment on the Land acquisition act of 1965, to provide for the introduction of a tribunal which will be the first mechanism of handling compensation disputes.

The Tribunal of five will be appointed by the President.

The members will consist of a lawyer, a registered surveyor, a valuation surveyor, a quantity surveyor and a land surveyor. The tribunal’s function will be specific only when the government is acquiring land and when the value of land is contested.

Amongi says that the change implies that the government will only occupy land after compensating its owners.

But in case of decline to negotiate with government on land deemed for the public interest, the land owner will be forcefully evicted.