In what looks like the peak of the land grabbing in Uganda, a group of people has grabbed a number of acres of a chunk of land associated with long serving president Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
Gen Museveni bought the land, which is located in the district of Sembabule, in 1997, about a decade after he took over power following a five-year bush war.
The land, comprised in Block 176, Plot 4, 6 and 46 in Lutunku Parish and on Block 83, Plot 23 in Sembabule Town Council, was sold to the president by a one Faustine Ntambara.
As an act of generosity, the president would offer part of the piece of land for the construction of Lutunku Community Polytechnic and Kaguta Primary School.
Besides these projects, structures for a Business Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) school.
But the existing structures and those in the pipeline consume just a small part of the piece of land that is nearly 200 acres.
Due to the fact that most of the land is free, farmers have been renting it to plant crops for as low as Shs100,000 per acre for a season.
But nearly a half of the land is occupied by grabbers who had either rented it for farming or were just tenants who set up big houses and have no plans of leaving General Museveni’s land any time soon.
It was against this background that Sembabule Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Caleb Tukaikiriza has halted all economic activities on the land to allow for an investigation into land grabbing.
Besides boundary opening, there will be a fresh registration of all tenants on Museveni’s land.
A committee has been instituted to investigate this matter and has been tasked to produce a report to the Sembabule District Security Committee, whose chairperson is RDC Tukaikiriza, within two months.
The committee investigating land grabbing on Museveni’s is headed by William Rudunyonyoli, the man who witnessed the sale (and or purchase) agreement between Museveni (buyer) and Ntambara (seller).
Other committee members are: Kyarutageija Village Chairperson Alfred Nunu, Kawanda Sub County boss Asuman Mwanje, and Ntambara.
Due to corruption, resolving land related matters is a bit complicated. Unfortunately, even lands officials are involved. Recently, a Museveni Minister shocked Ugandans when he revealed that a typist had tempted him with a Shs40m, leaving him wondering where this low cadre employee had gotten all this money. (Read Story Here).
