UGANDA, Mayuge | Real Muloodi News | President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the alleged Malongo Forest land grab in Mayuge District. The directive follows reports that individuals, including politicians and local officials, fraudulently acquired land titles meant for evicted community members.
Speaking at the Kityerera Presidential Demonstration Farm, Museveni responded to concerns raised by Morgan Mwesigwa, a journalist, about the illegal acquisition of land in Malongo and Kityerera Forest Reserves. He immediately tasked State House operative Suzan Kasingye, a lawyer and police officer, with leading the probe.
“I have received good information from this journalist. You see that lady [Kasingye]; she is a lawyer and policewoman. She is very dangerous. I know she will handle this,” Museveni said, directing the journalist to provide all relevant details to Kasingye.
The Malongo Forest land-grabbing controversy dates back to a 2011 directive by President Museveni instructing the National Forestry Authority (NFA) to degazette 30,000 hectares of forest reserve land in Malongo and Kityerera sub-counties—the directive aimed to resettle evicted residents from 48 villages.
However, allegations have emerged that local leaders, district land boards, and government officials colluded to allocate the land among themselves instead. The alleged fraudulent transactions have resulted in land titles being issued to individuals not originally intended to benefit from the resettlement.
Museveni expressed concern over the situation and vowed to cancel the fraudulent land titles.
“It is good that you have told me. We shall cancel all those land titles and arrest those land grabbers,” he stated.
Some residents have expressed scepticism about the directive’s implementation.
“The majority of the people who shared the land are entrenched in government, so we doubt the President’s directive will be fully implemented,” one resident said on condition of anonymity.
The controversy has led to widespread criticism from residents in Mayuge and the broader Busoga region. Many accuse local officials of exploiting the degazettement process for personal gain.
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