UGANDA, Sembabule | Real Muloodi News | A committee appointed to investigate the illegal acquisition of a portion of a 200-acre land that was donated by President Museveni to Lutunku Community Polytechnic in Sembabule District has released its findings.
Last September, Sembabule Resident District Commissioner Caleb Tukaikiriza constituted a four-member committee to investigate the matter.
The committee, chaired by Mr William Rudunyonyoli, one of the witnesses who signed the President’s agreement during the land purchase in 1997, discovered that the land is still registered in the name of Faustine Ntambara.
Lutunku Community Polytechnic, the intended beneficiary, failed to transfer the land into its name, making it vulnerable to land grabbers.
The investigation also revealed that the polytechnic has four land titles, two with the Ministry of Education and two with the Uganda Land Commission (ULC).
According to the committee’s findings, some individuals who initially occupied the land as tenants have constructed permanent structures.
Additionally, part of the land was leased to local farmers for seasonal crop cultivation, with each acre fetching USh100,000 per planting season.
Out of the remaining 122 acres, 78 acres had been rented out to local farmers. The committee recommended the eviction of all encroachers, and many of those using the land for farming have already vacated.
The authorities plan to initiate negotiations with Moses Ninsiima, to reclaim an additional 3.5 acres of land leased by the previous board of governors of the institution in Sembabule Town.
The goal is to recover all the land belonging to Lutunku Community Polytechnic and use it for the development of the institution.
Response from the Polytechnic and Local Representatives Serapio Owukunda, the principal of the polytechnic, declined to comment on the matter and referred inquiries to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Ms Ketty Lamaro.
However, Ms Lamaro has not responded to repeated attempts to contact her.
Annet Kyalimpa, a councillor representing Kawanda Sub-County at Sembabule District, supported the efforts to reclaim the land, stating that some residents had wrongly assumed ownership of the land due to previous lease agreements.
The Office of the President has taken over the issue and directed the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Education and Lands to ensure that all land titles are registered in the name of the institution.
The government aims to rectify the situation and ensure that the land rightfully belongs to Lutunku Community Polytechnic.
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