MUBS Seeks Parliamentary Protection from Land Squatters

In a bid to protect itself from land squatters, Makerere University Business School (MUBS) has run to parliament for help.

According to Professor Waswa Balunywa, the MUBS Principal, the institution is faced with threats on its land.

While appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Balunywa said that the university has lost physical possession of the two acres piece of land located in Kireka Hill View, 20 years after acquiring the land from Uganda Land Commission.

“We have been grappling with this land issue for 20 years now. People have been encroaching on our land and up to now we have failed to take charge of this land [in Kireka] because squatters have already built houses and it is not easy to get the squatters out of the land. Our engineers have been there several times and they have been chased,” Prof. Balunywa said.

Balunywa cried out for help while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (Central) to respond to Auditor General’s queries for Financial Year 2020/2021 on Wednesday, 07 September 2022.   

Prof. Balunywa said that though the university is in possession of the land title, it has failed to possess the land and as of that, no developments can be made on it.

Balunywa is now seeking help from the Public Accounts Committee in order to utilize the land.

“It is this same committee [PAC] that helped us to get compensated by the Uganda Land Commission. We seek for the same support to help us take possession of this land,” he said.

In response, Hon. Asuman Basalirwa, the committee’s deputy chair advised MUBS to exhaust other measures such as dragging the said land squatters to court.