William Lukuvi ends 27yr-old dispute

A land dispute pitting residents of Bwiru Street in Ilemela Municipality, Mwanza Region, against Bwiru Girls and Boys Secondary schools that has persisted for 27 years, was resolved yesterday by the Land, Housing and Settlement Development minister, Mr William Lukuvi.

Mr Lukuvi resolved that the so-called invaders who have been developing the plots over the years should now be considered the legal occupiers.

Speaking with the residents, Mr Lukuvi said his decision had been reached after the realisation that neither of the parties (the residents and the schools) had any legal documents proving they are the rightful owners of the land in dispute.

“Neither of the conflicting parties has a title deed to authenticate its right to own the disputed land…thus, I use my ministerial powers to resolve the dispute…from today onwards, residents who had been accused of invading the school land will stay put as owners and the schools will be allocated more land elsewhere,” noted the minister. He also added that he would direct land officials to survey all the area for the schools and residents as well as issue land ownership documents to both parties.

According to him, the schools’ land will be surveyed free of charge but the residents would be required to pay for the service, noting that the money that would be collected from wananchi would finance the construction of a fence around the institutions.

Mr Lukuvi also stated that the ownership documents of all the previously surveyed land at the area that have not been developed, would be revoked, repossessed and distributed to other people.

Speaking at the same occasion, Nyamagana District Commissioner Baraka Konisaga said Bwiru residents have been pleased by the minister’s move to resolve the long-standing dispute between them and the two academic institutions.