By Our Writer
Uganda government has resumed plans to give out 640 acres of land in Mukono District to Senegalese American singer Akon.
The singer promised to build multibillion satellite city with modern infrastructures couple of years ago when he visited Uganda and met President Yoweri Museveni.
The city would be located near what is now the village of Mbodiène, a small rural village of about 1,500 people who primarily rely on the agricultural industry. Another Akon City was announced in Uganda on April 6, 2021, by Akon.
Uganda Land Commission acting secretary Andrew Nyumba said they want to first survey the land to verify whether it is occupied.
However the planned land bonanza has angered hundreds of residents in Mpunge Sub-county in Mukono District who insist the chunk of land covering eight villages belongs to them.
The villages include Buleebi, Sango, Mbazi, Kyazi, Lulagwe, Muvo, Kiziru, and Kamwanyi.
In 2022, government secured 1 square mile of land in Mukono for Akon to construct a futuristic city worth $6 billion (Shs22 trillion).
The allocation of the land to the singer did not appease the locals and sparked several protests.
However residents led by the village chairpersons convened a meeting protesting against the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) document.
In the meeting, the residents vowed not to allow ULC to illegally survey their land.
Margret Nabbanja, a resident at Buleebi. fears the allocation will affect her livelihoods and her ancestry since the land hosts her burial sites.
The residents also asked Members of parliament, district chairperson and councillors to join them to fight the purported land bonanza.
Sam Kyege, chairperson of Lulagwe village, noted that the land the government wants to give to an individual is occupied by residents.
He appealed to President Museveni to avoid unnecessarily evictions of locals in their land.
