By Eye Media Uganda | Jinja District | October 23, 2026

Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, on Friday, October 23, 2026, urged families in Busoga Sub-region to protect ancestral land from excessive fragmentation and use it productively to create household wealth.

Babalanda, who is also the Member of Parliament for Budiope West, made the call during a send-off ceremony for her late aunt, Nabirye Tophirista Abuze, in Kibundaire Village, Namagera Parish, Butagaya Sub-county, Jinja District.

She warned that continuously dividing family land among children and other beneficiaries risks creating uneconomical plots, undermining commercial farming, household incomes and efforts to eradicate poverty.

“Excessive land fragmentation leaves families with plots that are too small to support productive and sustainable agricultural activities. We must manage our land responsibly to preserve its value as an asset for wealth creation,” Babalanda cautioned.

She said families should treat land as a productive asset capable of supporting generations, echoing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s longstanding position that inheritance-driven fragmentation contributes to poverty and threatens food security.

Four-Acre Model

Babalanda encouraged households to embrace the government’s Four-Acre Model, which promotes diversified agricultural production to improve food security and generate year-round income.

Under the model, one acre is allocated to long-term cash crops such as coffee or cocoa, another to fruits including oranges and mangoes, a third to food crops such as maize, beans, cassava and vegetables, and the fourth to pasture and livestock enterprises, including dairy farming.

She also urged residents to use government wealth-creation initiatives, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and the Youth Livelihood Programme, with discipline, commitment and proper utilisation of resources so they produce tangible improvements in household welfare.

Household Enterprises

Babalanda encouraged families to establish complementary income-generating activities such as poultry keeping, vegetable growing and piggery to supplement crop-farming earnings, diversify income, strengthen food security and cushion households during periods of low agricultural returns.

Her message comes amid continued concerns about the impact of land subdivision on agricultural productivity, particularly in communities where customary inheritance practices divide land among multiple heirs.

Health And HIV Prevention

Beyond agriculture and wealth creation, Babalanda urged residents to avoid self-medication and seek timely treatment from recognised health facilities. She emphasised early diagnosis and medical intervention, saying prompt access to healthcare can improve treatment outcomes and save lives.

On HIV/AIDS, she called for sustained public awareness, regular testing, prevention and adherence to treatment. She also urged communities to support people living with HIV and reject stigma and discrimination.

Babalanda commended President Museveni’s leadership in the national HIV/AIDS response and called on residents to remain vigilant in preventing new infections.

Condolences To The Bereaved Family

During the ceremony, Babalanda conveyed condolences to the bereaved family on behalf of President Museveni, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, and staff of the Office of the President.

She thanked relatives, friends and well-wishers who supported the family through prayers and other acts of kindness during their period of mourning.

The minister concluded by praying for the peaceful repose of her aunt’s soul and comfort for the family, while challenging the people of Busoga to preserve the productive value of their land, embrace government wealth-creation programmes and invest in sustainable household enterprises.