Manwera
Keitesi aged 27 lives in Dwaniro village, Dwaniro Sub-County – Kiboga District.
Manwera rented a house from one, Mr. Miyingo Kato for a period of 10 months and
also signed a tenancy agreement with her Landlord. All was well until Mr.
Muyingo decided to sell off his plot of land along with the house to Mr.
Lwamulango after Manwera had just spent 2 months in the rented house.
Mr.
Muyingo successfully concluded his deal with the new landlord and even shifted
to his new home without introducing Manwera to her new landlord. Trouble
started when the new landlord, Mr. Lwamulango wanted to evict Manwera from the
house without prior notice because he needed the house to provide residence to
his relatives.
Little
did he know that his tenant Manwera had been educated on her rights as a tenant
by a Human Rights activist/paralegal, from
Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare (UCOBAC),
Mr. Kulabirawo Francis, during a community sensitization meeting about women’s
rights to land and property. UCOBAC with support from Independent development
Fund (IDF) is implementing a two years project on Women's land and property
rights in Kiboga District.
Upon
receiving the notice to evacuate the house yet she still had eight months
ahead, Manwera sought the help of a paralegal, with whom she shared her ordeal
with and asked for his intervention. In response, Mr. Kulabirawo arranged for a
meeting with the new landlord. He listened to both sides, reviewed both
agreements and convinced Mr. Lwamulango to come to an agreement with Manwera on
how to settle the misunderstanding since they both had evidence of signed
agreements stipulating their rights to the property in question.
Mr.
Kulabirawo proposed a refund from Mr. Lwamulango to Ms. Manwera for the
remaining 8 months she had in the house. Although Manwera was hesitant to
accept the offer, she later consented when the paralegal got the new land lord on
board to help her search for new residence. A refund for the 8 months was made to
Manwera; which she used to pay for her new home. Today Manwera is happily
settled in another house at Dwaniro trading Centre. “I am grateful to UCOBAC for educating me about my rights and for also
intervening in my situation” Manwera remarks.
