Lukuvi revokes title deeds for grabbed graveyard

MAUREEN ODUNGA

SECRETARY for Muslim Community for Kinyerezi Sokoni, Siyami Kibasame, speaks to colleagues asking for cash contributions to make a billboard at their cemetery after the Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, William Lukuvi, revoked the land title deeds for people who had been allocated the graveyard in Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo by Robert Okanda)

TITLE deeds for plots number 213 and 217 at Kinyerezi- Sokoni in Dar es Salaam’s Ilala District have been revoked.

Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Minister William Lukuvi has revoked the titles of the plots, which were earlier used as a cemetery and later maliciously transferred to Nditonda Benno Chukilizo and Pascal Kyomya Kazungu.

Mr Lukuvi directed the Commissioner for Lands to handle the matter and restore the status of the area to its intended uses. “I want you to call off the title deeds immediately and this area be used as the cemetery as earlier intended,” said Mr Lukuvi while addressing the residents of Kinyerezi in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.

He called on all the regional administrations countrywide to allocate burial grounds in their areas and respect the areas that have been set aside for the purpose.

A representative of Kinyerezi Residents, Advocate Mwinjuma Mzee expressed gratitude to the minister for handling the matter wisely. He said people had come to realise that the burial ground had been surveyed and portioned into three plots numbered 213, 215 and 217.

“Plot number 213 and 217 have already been transferred to Chukilizo and Kazungu and plot number 215 was still in the process of being allocated,” charged Advocate Mzee, noting that having realised what was going on, the residents communicated the matter to the Municipal Council and City Council.

“We looked for the Government Notice (GN) that had named the area a graveyard on October, 2004 and searched if any changes were made in the years after but we found none,” he noted. “All people are satisfied with the minister’s decision... we applaud him for the move,” said Mr Mzee.

The Chairman of Kanga Street, Mr Shamte Mkali requested the Minister to intervene in other land grabbing rackets at Kinyerezi, alleging that the areas that had been earlier allocated for the construction of dispensary and nursery school, among others, have been altered.