UGANDA, Mbarara | Real Muloodi News | State Minister for Lands, Dr Sam Mayanja, has asked the head of the State House Anti-corruption Unit (SHACU), Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, to investigate extensive land grabbing and fraud in Mbarara City.
This follows a letter dated March 1, 2023, from Mbarara City North Member of Parliament, Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari, highlighting the alarming rate of land fraud and theft in Mbarara.
The minister’s office has received a petition from elders and leaders of the region, claiming that members of the public, politicians, and government officials have encroached on hundreds of hectares of public land.
Dr Mayanja stated in the letter that the matter carries security connotations that require an investigation. He has forwarded the petitioners’ names to the anti-corruption unit to provide any particulars required to handle the matter.
“This Office has been petitioned by the elders and leaders of the above-captioned area who allege that the rate at which the government is losing land is alarming. The petitioners allege that hundreds of hectares of land have been encroached on by members of the public, politicians, and government officials among others,” Dr Mayanja wrote in a letter.
The grabbed lands include Biharwe Former Division Headquarters, Biharwe East Playground, Weekly Market, Kanyarweru campsite land, and other public lands in the area include; Kanywa land in Kakoma Ward, Rwakabiiko mailo land, Kyarwabuganda land at Kakoma (vii) Akembogo land Nyabuhama Ward Headquarters land in Nyaruhanga Cell, and Kishasha public land in Nyakanengo Cell Nyakinengo Water booster in Kibwera cell.
Background
In January 2023, MP Rukaari sent a letter protesting the invasion and stealing of government land in his constituency, asking the Mbarara City Clerk to investigate the truth.
Rukaari confirmed the complaints were factual.
“As the area Member of Parliament, I have since receipt of the complaints taken a keen interest in the matters raised therein and confirmed that the complaints are real, ongoing, and factual. A case in point is grabbing and encroaching on government land at Kanyarweru, Biharwe, Akanywa land, Kyarwabuganda land and other land described in the letter of complaint earlier hereto referred to,” MP Rukaari wrote asking the Mbarara City Clerk to establish the truth.
MP Rukaari further stated that it was the leaders’ mandate to protect government land entrusted under their care for the benefit of the public.
He urged the city clerk to investigate the cases of land grabbing and establish the truth.
He also promised to engage different stakeholders to ensure the protection of government land from encroachment and grabbing.
“As leaders in Mbarara City, it is our mandate, as we have a primary duty to protect government land entrusted under our care for the benefit of the public whom we serve. Since you are the technical arm of the Local Administration, please have these instances of land grabbing investigated so as to establish the truth. In the meantime, I will also engage the different stakeholders to ensure that we do protect government land from encroachment and grabbing,” MP Rukaari said.
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