Gomba District Chair Urges Councillors to Tackle Land Grabbing

George Abigaba, the newly sworn-in Gomba District Chairperson, has called upon district councillors to take a proactive role in combating land grabbers who are causing distress to residents.

This directive was issued during the district’s first full council meeting since Abigaba and his executive committee were elected. Gomba, a district known for its political support for President Museveni, experienced delays in fully constituting its leadership post-2026 elections, which had impacted district operations.

The delay stemmed from disagreements between the chairperson and councillors regarding the proposed executive committee members. Specifically, nominations for Vice Chairperson, Minister for Education and Health, and Minister for Works faced scrutiny over the academic qualifications of the nominees.

While the Vice Chairperson nominee was eventually approved after verification of academic documents, objections persisted for the ministerial positions. Some councillors, particularly from the NUP party, argued that nominees should possess at least Senior Four qualifications to effectively supervise technical staff and manage crucial sectors like works, education, and health.

Despite these concerns and some councillors walking out, the Chief Administrative Officer confirmed that no law explicitly barred individuals without specific academic qualifications from these ministerial roles. Abigaba then urged councillors to support his chosen team, emphasizing that different individuals bring unique strengths to governance.

Abigaba stressed the importance of focusing on service delivery and urged councillors to return to their communities. He identified land grabbing as a critical issue that councillors must actively address within their respective areas, vowing that no land grabber would be tolerated in Gomba. Protecting residents’ land rights is now a key priority for the new administration.