The story carried in the New Vision of Wednesday, 24th June, 2009 entitled “Seize idle land, says Tinyefuza” reports General David Tinyefuza as having said that there should be a limit to the size of land individuals can acquire; and that idle land be seized and given to others to “develop.”
This resonates with the on-going debate about land reforms and the proposed kangaroo justice systems for land arbitration in which land cases will be adjudicated not by courts of law, but the Minister of Lands using administrative directives to Resident District Commissioners, police, land boards and land committees.
While the kangaroo justice systems are meant to protect those who illegally settled on people’s land prior to the 1995 constitution, General Tinyefuza’s latest drive for seizing un-used land will open flood gates for fresh land-grabbing!
By recommending that idle land be seized and given to others to “develop”, Tinyefuza knows full well in his mind that majority of Ugandans; the peasants will not join the race since they would not have capacity to “develop” any seized lands. Peasants will be effectively marginalised by the requirement to demonstrate ability to “develop” the seized land. The grabbing will therefore be meted by, and benefit only the economically muscled – the likes of General Tinyefuza and his compatriots.
What I failed to understand though from General Tinyefuza’s proposals is whether his concern for lack of government-imposed ceilings on land holding and acquisition was genuine. He certainly is one of the privileged Ugandans with more than the average household land holding in Kabale district – which according to latest statistics, stands at 2.4 hectares per a seven member household. More over, these 2.4 hectares are often heavily fragmented into 10 – 15 parcels scattered over a ten square kilometre area. I challenge the General to voluntarily donate part of his land to the land-strapped Bakiga, or even indeed any of his less fortunate kins from Ankole. He has to be seen to be walking-the-talk!
I appreciate that inequality in terms of land holding is a serious issue requiring attention, but General Tinyefuza’s proposal to seize idle land for those who can “develop” it is not a solution. On the contrary, his proposal will be a licence for fulfilling the biblical philosophy: “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance…” (Mathew 25:29).
Land is a tradable commodity, and as long as Uganda remains a free market economy, Tinyenfuza’s neo-marxist thoughts will be abhorred. Those who have capacity to develop land are not in short supply of land. Therefore Tinyefuza should think of another reason for land-grabbing!
Published in New Vision, June 28, 2009: http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/21/686211
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