What is “Kabaka’s Land”?
During the 1900 Buganda Agreement, all land in Buganda was divided into two; crown land, which was under the control of the colonial government, and mailo land.
This mailo land was also divided into two; Official mailo and private mailo.
Official mailo includes the land given to the Kabaka (350 square miles) and the ssaza chiefs who got eight square miles, among others.
The 350 square miles is the land that is currently managed by the Buganda Land Board. This land is predominately found in suburbs such as Nansana, Munyonyo, Buziga, Konge, Kigo, Maganjo, Kagoma, and Ganda, among others.
One cannot buy and own the “Kabaka’s land”. The reason why they only give leases on this land. The difference between “kabaka’s land” and private mailo is that a buyer is only given a leasehold title for Kabaka’s land while for private mailo one can get either a leasehold title or an outright transfer.
The Difference Between Private Mailo Land and Kabaka’s Land
Private Mailo; Private Mailo is the land parcelled out to individuals in the sense that it was their property. “People such as Kabaka Daudi Chwa, his mother, the Muhamedian prince, who was Mbogo, and the mother of Mwanga, were given land as individuals.
They could deal with this land as they deemed fit; they could transfer it, or if one got a financial problem or any other, they could sell it.
Between 1900 and 1908, roughly 1,300 Baganda individuals and institutions, including churches, were given the Private Mailo. Private owners own their property in perpetuity (forever) and can sell or pass their rights on to their heirs.
Official Mailo; the Kabaka owns this land because of his position. The sale of Kabaka’s land is not permitted because it benefits the Kabaka’s office, Katikkiro, Ssaza, and Gombolola Chiefs. In distinction, with Private Mailo, one can get either a leasehold title or an outright transfer.
The other difference is that one has to pay the premium and annual ground rent for Kabaka’s land. In contrast with the Private Mailo, you only pay for the premium.
The official premium is 10% of the land’s capital value, while ground rent is 1% of the premium. Let’s say “If a plot, say in Buziga, costs USh 40 million, that is its capital value. The premium is 10 per cent, which translates into USh 4 million, while the ground rent is one per cent of USh 4 million which is USh 400, 000. For that plot in Buziga one pays premium once, and annual ground rent over the 49 years.”
When the lease expires, the land returns to Kabaka’s ownership. The Kabaka’s office determines whether to extend the lease. But it is the policy of Buganda Land Board that once a lease expires, we renew it and give it to the sitting tenant.”
All land sold at LUBA Properties Limited is Private Mailo Land. Talk to us on 0773259007 or 0757444666 for more information.
