The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kasana-Luwero, Rt. Rev. Lawrence Mukasa, has voiced grave concerns over threats from land grabbers targeting St. Joseph the Worker, Katikamu Parish.
During his homily on Saturday at Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral, where he officiated the ordination of three priests—Lawrence Kawagga, Christopher Kibuuka, and Charles Lwanga Mutyaba—and a deacon, Bruno Sserunkuuma, Bishop Mukasa shared a troubling report.
The report, received last Wednesday from the priests stationed at Katikamu Parish, described an invasion by strangers who claimed ownership of the parish land.
The intruders demanded that the priests vacate the premises unless they paid 200 million shillings per acre for the land.
The land in question, spanning over 10 acres, is home to St. Joseph Katikamu-Kisule Primary School, St. Kizito Secondary School, and Good Samaritan Katikamu Health Center III.
Bishop Mukasa emphasized that the Church acquired the land during the missionary era.
He expressed his shock at the sudden claims, questioning why, after 61 years of the parish’s existence, these individuals are now emerging to assert ownership.
The persistence of threats from land grabbers targeting Church land in Uganda remains a serious concern.
In October 2022, Archbishop Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, the head of the Church of Uganda, highlighted the alarming rate of land grabbing and encroachment on Church property nationwide.
He pointed out that significant portions of Church land had been encroached upon, largely due to the absence of proper land titles.
Archbishop Kaziimba called for urgent government intervention to protect these lands by ensuring they are formally titled.
During the golden jubilee celebrations for Bunyoro Kitara Diocese in Hoima, he urged religious leaders to vigilantly guard Church land boundaries against encroachment by unscrupulous individuals.
He also encouraged Ugandans and the Church to use their land productively for income generation to improve their livelihoods.
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