The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament’s Adhoc Committee investigating the distribution of 82.05 acres of Nakawa-Naguru land, has summoned commissioners of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) to appear before the committee.
Those summoned are Prof. Pen Mogi Nyeko, Asuman Kyafu, Stella Achan, Rukiika Rujara, Charles Muhoozi, and others. Also summoned is the interdicted secretary Barbara Imaryo.
The summons were issued by Kazo County MP, Dan Kimosho on Thursday after the commissioners failed to appear before his committee even after they had been formally invited.
Andrew Nyumba, the ULC Secretary appeared before the committee saying that he has informed the Commissioners about the committee meeting and they told him that they would honor the invite.
Sarah Opendi, the Tororo Woman MP said that the failure of the commissioners to appear could not be tolerated, demanding that these are summoned.
Kimosho directed the committee clerk to issue summons to all the Commissioners to appear on Monday next week together with Imaryo.
“I am really disturbed that we can talk to people verbally here… and then write again and come and tell us that they did not understand us. How best can we be understood?” Kimosho wondered before emphasizing that his committee is issuing summons to the Commissioners and the interdicted Secretary Imaryo.
Imaryo was in November last year together with the Chairperson of ULC Beatrice Byenkya ordered by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya to step aside and allow investigations into allegations of corruption and abuse of office.
In January 2022, the ULC revised earlier allocations of land at Nakawa-Naguru and distributed 15 acres to the Internal Medicine of Virginia, 10 acres to Uganda Heart Institute, 3.09 acres to KCCA Nakawa Division offices, 1 acre to Naguru Infant Primary School, 1.05 acres to St. Peters Church of Uganda, 2 acres to Ntinda Whole Sellers and others.
More land was distributed to investors Anil Damani, 3 acres, Seven Hills Apartments 4 acres, Arab Oil Supplies and Exploration Limited 4 acres, Dashen (U) Limited 3 acres, Dembe Enterprises Limited 3 acres, Dominion Partners Limited 1 acre, EACOM International Limited 1 acre, Rudra Hardware 4 acres, and others.
Following a directive by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, the Adhoc Committee has been inquiring into the process and circumstances under which the investors got to know about the land and were finally approved as beneficiaries.
Besides summoning the commissioners to explain their role in this process, Kimosho directed the Acting Secretary ULC, Andrew Nyumba to appear on Monday with several documents pertaining to the land giveaway. These are the allocation letters for the investors, how much land is left, extract of all letters from Ministers in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development regarding the Nakawa-Naguru land and the report by the ULC filed on the allocation of land and others.
ULC is provided for under Article 238 of the Constitution to verify, monitor, preserve, document, and maintain public land.
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