NSSF yet to occupy Temangalo land

Mr Byarugaba and Mr Okumu

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is yet to take over ownership of the over 400 acres of land bought at Temangalo, more than three years since the transaction was concluded, Parliament heard yesterday.

Although the Fund has been availed the land titles, the encumbrances on it, will not let the fund use the land for any developments.

NSSF’s new Managing Director Richard Byarugaba told MPs on the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority and State Enterprises that the former proprietor of the land still occupies the house he constructed on one of the plots.

Mbabazi to appear
Mr Byarugaba also informed the committee that Mr Amos Nzeyi has not paid the tenants occupying the land contrary to agreements they signed that required the vendor to clear them.

The MPs are currently scrutinising the Auditor General’s report that queried the Temangalo transaction and the committee yesterday concluded that Security Minister Amama Mbabazi and Mr Nzeyi be summoned to freshly explain their roles in the sale.
“The land still has squatters and we haven’t moved them.

Nzeyi wrote to us demanding that we compensate the squatters but we have written back telling him that it wasn’t part of the agreement. We are waiting for their response. We want him to get those squatters off,” Mr Byarugaba said.

Three years ago, close to 14 families petitioned Parliament expressing fear of eviction when the land sale caused heated debate in Parliament.

Eight of the families claimed to be living on part of the land sold by Mr Nzeyi while five families said they were on Mr Mbabazi’s land.

The two men had jointly sold their neighbouring plots to NSSF.
The resolution of a new investigation comes two years after President Museveni absolved Minister Mbabazi—whom MPs had accused of conflict of interest in the Shs11b deal.

Mr Byarugaba also said through their (NSSF) correspondent, they have asked Mr Nzeyi to vacate the house he is occupying because under the agreements, it was sold to NSSF.

Led by Reagan Okumu (MP Aswa), the legislators have decided that summons be sent to Mr Nzeyi today to explain why he is asking NSSF to pay squatters.

“Nzeyi is being arrogant. We want to know why he has not paid squatters and why he has not handed over the house to NSSF,” Mr Okumu said.

Attempts to block the Temangalo debate by the Bufumbira County South MP, Mr Buchyanayandi, fell on deaf ears as the legislators informed him that they were handling a new forensic report by the Auditor General.

“What we are going through is different from what Parliament investigated. In the forensic audit sanctioned by Museveni, the Temangalo issue has come up and we cannot ignore it,” Mr Okumu said.

The forensic audit report queries whether Mr Mbabazi paid taxes since the payment cheques were made in his names.