Leader of Opposition in Parliament and also Kasese District Woman MP, Winnie Kiiza

Opposition Members in Parliament this weekend launched a countrywide campaign against the proposed constitutional amendment of Article 26 starting with Masaka district.

The amendment intends to give government the mandate to compulsory acquisition of private land for government development purposes.

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament and also Kasese District Woman MP, Winnie Kiiza, says that the opposition members need to consult the general public about the proposed amendment.

Considering the legislative role for Members of Parliament, Kiiza says that the Opposition does not expect the police to stop them went they go out to the 21 sub regions of Uganda consulting the people on the law that pertains their rights on land.

Kiiza says that it would illegal for the police to block any member of parliament from consulting Ugandans on a bill that is before Parliament.

According to the program, the opposition MPs will move to Kampala District, Katwe, Nakulabye, Kasokoso in particular before going the Wakiso district.

She told reporters at the Parliament that through this campaign the public will be sensitized on demerits of the proposed amendments urging that the bill was brought in bad faith and it is not in interests of Ugandans.

Flanked by members of the shadow cabinet, Kiiza says that the only resource Ugandans are left with is land and they cannot allow President Museveni and his colleagues to deprive them of this only resource.

Makindye West MP, Allan Sewanyana

Makindye West MP, Allan Sewanyana, told this Newspaper that the argument of compulsory acquisition of land for purposes of government development project does not hold water since government can still get land for development after full compensation of land owners.

Ssewanyana adds there precedents where government has acquired land displaced people in the name of development but to-date the land is idle. He says in some cases such land acquired by government is instead development by private individuals under the guise of investors.

Meanwhile, Kiiza also points out that this bill could be used to fight and cripple political opponents, by government forcefully taking their property under the guise of putting up development projects and giving inadequate compensation to the victim.

On the ongoing debate of lifting the presidential Age limit, Kiiza says that the opposition will tackle the matter at the appropriate time.

The post Opposition launches campaign against constitutional amendment of Article 26 first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Migereko made the remarks while re –launching the construction of National housing 162 house units worth 9 million dollars in Namungona where one house unit costs 219 million shillings.

Migereko said that National Housing should construct affordable houses with a threshold cost of about 50 million shilling which should be affordable to the youth who ought to live in better and organized houses.

He said that Uganda will not overcome the challenge of slums around the cities if organized real estate remains unaffordable to the youth.

He also revealed that government has ordered National Housing to make fresh discussion with the affected people in Kasokoso , Banda 1 and Kiganda  to accept  the construction of better houses in the area which they can then buy latter at affordable  prices.

The post Land Minister Migereko asks National Housing to reduce cost of its houses first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.