The Adhoc Committee of parliament, which has been investigating the distribution of 82.05 acres of Nakawa-Naguru land in its report to parliament, reveals that whereas lease offers of less acreage were communicated by the Secretary to the Commission, there were no minutes availed to support such reductions or variations in sizes connoting the existence of fraudulent intent.
Parliament has observed that the variation in the
acreage of land allocated to different investors at Nakawa-Naguru by Uganda
Land Commission (ULC) connotes the existence of intentional fraud.
The Adhoc Committee
of parliament, which has been investigating the distribution of 82.05 acres of
Nakawa-Naguru land in its report to parliament, reveals that whereas
lease offers of less acreage were communicated by the Secretary
to the Commission, there were no minutes availed to support such reductions or variations
in sizes connoting the existence of fraudulent intent.
Dan Kimosho, the committee chairperson presented the
report to parliament on Wednesday and the House adopted it. Parliament learnt
that the certificates of title issued to the investors indicated less or more
acreage of land offered but with no explanation.
//Cue in: “although ULC formally…//
Cue out:…a fraudulent intent.”//
In their explanation during the committee
investigations, ULC officials explained that due to the very many applications
and directives at hand for the scarce resource, they made several adjustments
to the allocations with no justifiable reason.
Uganda Radio Network- URN learnt that Dashen Uganda
Ltd, Dembe Enterprises Ltd, Master Links Uganda Ltd and Meera Investments Ltd, were
offered 3 acres each contrary to the allocated 4 acres.
Phaneroo Ministries International, Seven Hills
Apartments Ltd and Arab Oil Supplies and Exploration Ltd received more acres of
land than what was communicated to have been allocated to them. These received
offers of 4 acres each contrary to the allocated 3 acres.
On the other hand, other beneficiaries were offered
far less than what was allocated. EACOM international Ltd was allocated 3 acres
but offered 0.30 acres, Fakhruddin Properties Ltd- allocated 3 acres but offered
1.42 acres, Gash Logistics Ltd -allocated 1 acre but offered 0.85 acres, Global
Paper Products Ltd- allocated 2 acres but offered 0.6 acres, Wash and Wills
Country Home Ltd- allocated 1 acre but offered 0.35 acres and Dominion Partners-
allocated 2 acres but offered 1 acre.
“No Uganda Land Commission Minute was availed to the
committee to explain these variations, similarly, some allocates protested the
variations as no explanation was given them,” Kimosho emphasizes.
He observes that these variations expose the government
to a very serious legal risk which could result into litigation in courts of
law and as a result lead to loss of funds.
Parliament approved the Committee recommendation
that the Secretary to ULC, Barbara Imaryo be held liable for altering the size
of the acreage without a commission minute to the effect.
MPs recommended that allocations and lease offers
should only be communicated to potential lessees upon proper ascertainment of
the size of the parcels allocated to them.
All private beneficiaries of the Nakawa - Naguru
land were required to pay rent, premiums and stamp duty following assessment by
the Chief Government Valuer. Kimosho says that ULC realized 10.28 billion
Shillings as Premium and 468.3 million Shillings as ground rent.
He also revealed that institutions such as the
Uganda Heart Institute, National Library, Nakawa Division Headquarters, St.
Stephens Church, and Ntinda Wholesalers, Virginia Internal Medicine never paid
premium as they were given a waiver by the former Minster of Lands, Betty Kamya
who wrote to ULC to waive off the Premium and ground rent but they were issued
peppercorn leases.
Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among directed the
Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama to take action on the House
recommendation and government to report back in two months.
