The interdiction took place after Byenkya blew the whistle on ULC officials for engaging in corruption and bribery.
Byenkya publicly called for investigations into Uganda Land Commission dealings by writing to the Director of the Bank of Uganda and the Director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate of Uganda Police, proposing investigations into officers of the ULC citing fraud in payments from the Land Fund, fake land titling at ULC, non-compliance with public service rules and regulations, among others.
Consequently, on October 4th 2021, detectives raided the ULC offices in Kampala and arrested four officials.
Following the arrests, on October 12, ULC members accused Byenkya of writing the letters without consulting them beforehand, and called for her interdiction for involving outside agencies instead of dealing with the matter internally. The ULC members passed a resolution condemning Byenkya of misbehaviour, haughtiness, and malice, claiming Byenkya’s actions resulted in damage to the Commission’s reputation and conflict in the institution.
Heeding the ULC member’s calls, In November, 2021, IGG Beti Kamya swiftly instructed Judith Nabakooba, the Lands Minister to interdict Byenkya to open the way for investigations into the misbehaviour allegations.
Hon Byenkya objected, claiming that the minister lacked the right to interdict her because she was not her appointing authority. However, Byenkya was later removed from office by the President himself.
Byenkya has publicly insisted numerous times that Government officials are at the centre of grabbing government land, and that district officials, executives, and members of the land board use their influence and knowledge to connive and get fraudulent land titles in order to get money.
Byenkya further claims that some of these untouchable political figures are working to have her removed from power because they are afraid of being discovered over the public lands they have stolen.
During her interactions with COSASE, Byenkya is said to have exposed the identities of the politicians involved in dubious land deals, including the allocation of Nakawa-Naguru land to several companies who benefitted from the land distribution under irregular circumstances, one of them being Internal Medicine of Virginia.
In one session, Byenkya requested the COSASE chairman Joel Ssenyonyi to ask the journalists to leave the room so she could divulge the identities of the politicians involved.
However, in an unfortunate blow to Byenkya, the COSASE report recommended that owning to the conflict within the ULC, there should be a complete overhaul of the current commissioners to enhance the performance of the institution.
Now it is for the President to decide whether Hon Beatrice Nyakaisiki Byenkya will be rewarded or punished for publicly standing up against the Mafia.
