The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has set up an Adhoc committee to inquire into the Nakawa-Naguru land row.
The nine-member team is led by Kazo County MP, Dan Atwijukire Kimosho. The other members are Amolatar Woman MP Agnes Atim Apea, Kilak North MP Anthony Akol, Butambala Woman MP Aisha Kabanda, Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa, Soroti West Division MP Jonathan Ebwalu, Sheema Municipality MP Dickson Kateshumbwa, Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi, and Mbarara City MP Rita Atukwasa.
Among also said that the committee will probe the conflict among ministers in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
Among directed the committee to report back to the House in two weeks.
Rule 191 of the Parliament Rules of Procedure provides that the House may at any time, on the advice of the Business Committee, appoint an Adhoc Committee to investigate any matter of public importance that does not come under the jurisdiction of any Standing or Sectoral Committee or that has not been dealt with by a Select Committee.
Last week, the Minister of State for Lands Sam Mayanja asked the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to intervene in the row over the ownership of the Nakawa-Naguru land after different companies claimed ownership of sections of land, despite President’s approval for re-allocation.
Mayanja’s letter to Nabbanja dated February 23, came after his visit to the disputed land where he also halted any developments due to ongoing disputes. Earlier, Mayanja had petitioned the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) Chairperson regarding allegations of illegal allocation and issuance of multiple titles to different developers.
Reports indicate that Multi Consults Designs Limited, which was accorded 3.3 acres on the land through a consent agreement with the Attorney General, accuses ULC of reallocating some plots of the piece of land to other developers who have gone ahead to fence off the area.
Media reports say that plots belonging to Multi Consults Designs Limited have been reallocated to companies identified as WASH, GASH, EACOM, Global, and Fakhruddin.
In 2019, the government repossessed the 80-acre piece of land from Opec Prime developer for failure to establish a Satellite City, and ULC was then tasked to find viable investors to develop the land.
In November last year, Mayanja submitted a list of 18 developers that the ULC had vetted and approved for the allocation of 50 acres. A total of 10 acres would be allocated to the Uganda Heart Institute and 15 acres to the Internal Medicine Virginia PC. 5 acres are occupied by government institutions.
However, President Yoweri Museveni is yet to respond to this letter by Mayanja seeking the reallocation of land.
The land in question has been embroiled in controversy since 2007 after it was given out to Opec Prime Properties Limited to construct a satellite city. In 2018, Cabinet resolved to terminate the contract with Opec Prime Properties after it defaulted on its obligations.
The land was then repossessed by the ULC which was supposed to reallocate it to new developers.
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