UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | Members of Parliament sitting on the Adhoc Committee of Parliament investigating the 82.05 acres of Nakawa-Naguru land distribution process to different ‘investors’ have questioned Persis Namuganza, the Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, over alleged influence in this land allocation.
Hon. Namuganza, who appeared before the committee on Tuesday, was accused of using her office to pressurise the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) to allocate land to some investors even when due diligence had not been done to clarify whether they had the capacity for developing the land.
She defended several letters written by investors through her office to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni seeking land allocation.
The committee commented on a letter written by investors; Anil Damani and Seven Hills Apartments through Minister Namuganza seeking land allocation.
Anil got 3 acres while Seven Hills Apartments got 4 acres during the land allocations by Uganda Land Commission.
“There was a request for 5 acres by Anil Damani to construct affordable condominium apartments but he denied knowledge of this letter. Where did the letter come from?” Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman MP, asked.
However, Minister Persis Namuganza denied the allegations saying that she only received requests from people who needed land and later forwarded them to Uganda Land Commission for action.
She also denied the letter written to the President through her office, saying the documents received by her office are officially received and stamped.
The minister was tasked to avail all land requests sent to her office regarding the Nakawa-Naguru land.
The former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Betty Kamya who is now the Inspector General of Government (IGG) was also questioned.
Asked by the Committee Chairperson Dan Kimosho whether she wrote any letter directing ULC to allocate land to the intended developers, Kamya responded in the affirmative that she had written and also forwarded applications to ULC.
“But I cannot remember their names since Uganda Land Commission is mandated to hold and manage all land in Uganda legally owned or acquired by the government in accordance with the constitution of Uganda,” she said.
She added, “The Commission is also responsible for holding and managing land owned by Uganda outside the country.”
She emphasised that she kept reminding Uganda Land Commission to implement the presidential directives within the law.
When Sarah Opendi asked Kamya whether Uganda Land Commission has the Internal Medicine of Virginia’s address, she replied that there is a presidential directive regarding the hospital.
Other entities that benefited from the Nakawa-Naguru land allocations included the Internal Medicine of Virginia, Uganda Heart Institute (10 acres), Kampala Capital City Authority Nakawa Division Offices (3.09 acres), Nagura Infant Primary School (1 acre), St. Peters Church of Uganda (1.05 acres), Ntinda whole sellers (2 acres), Arab Oil Supplies and Exploration Limited (4 acres), Darlene Uganda Limited (3 acres), Dembe enterprises (3 acres), Dominion Partners Limited (1 acre), E.A.Com International Limited (1 acre), Rudra Hardware (4 acres), among others.
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