Bamugemereire summons Namuganza over disputed Mubende land

KAMPALA- Ms Persis Namuganza, the State Minister for Lands, has been summoned to appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters in connection with her alleged involvement in the purchase of a disputed chunk of land by the government.

The minister is expected to explain her alleged role on Tuesday. The commission is  chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire.

It is alleged that Ms Namuganza in collusion with her counterpart, Ms Benny Namugwanya Bugembe (State minister for Kampala) who is also the Woman MP for Mubende District, mobilised and led claimants of the disputed three square mile land in Butoroogo and Madudu Sub-counties, Mubende District to State House and met President Museveni who would order the owners of the land to be compensated by the State.

The Deputy Lead Counsel to the Commission, Mr John Bosco Suuza on Monday confirmed the development saying that the junior Lands minister is expected to explain her intervention in the land dispute and her role in leading claimants to a State House meeting.

“…Maybe the minister has better information as to the basis of the claimants’ claim on land and how the interest of the other claimants are taken into account,” Mr Suuza said.

Ms Namuganza was named before the land probe for having led purported landlords; Mr Blasio Musoke Lule and Ms Milly Naava Namutebi  and other people to State House to claim for compensation of the land whose ownership is under investigation.

At the State House meeting, witnesses separately testified that Mr Lule asked the President to pay them Shs4 billion for one Square mile of the land.

The commission is investigating accusations of forceful evictions, destruction of property, unlawful arrests and threatening violence against a retired primary school teacher, Ms Namutebi and a senior army officer in charge of administration at Mubende Rehabilitation Centre, Maj. Eric Kigamboha.

The incidents, reportedly took place in three sub counties of Buwekula, Butoroogo and Madudu between 2010 and 2018.

Testimony

Mr Herman Byakatonda, one of the evictees without revealing the date, testified that Ms Bugembe linked them to Ms Namuganza and took them to State House to meet President Museveni after being assured that he would pay the required money to the owners of the disputed land.

“…We were catagorised into groups and the minister (Namuganza) told us not to say anything. She told us to let her talk to the president to convince him to pay off the land]lords,” said Mr Byakatonda adding that the meeting did not yield anything but instead; the president upon questioning Ms Namutebi about the status of investigations, appointed a team to carry out a fact-finding mission on ground.

Mr Hussein Shambe, a family member testified that he learnt of the State House meeting through other people and that he had been denied access to the meeting.

“…I was helped by Councillor Christopher Barongo and Maj Kakooza to access the State House meeting. We were welcomed by Ms Namuganza but she told us not to say anything because the President is tired and may not listen to us. Blasio [Lule] was the person to was given chance to speak to the president and he asked for Shs4 billion and in cash,” Mr Shambe said adding that the compensation was to allow bibanja holders to repossess one square mile of land.

According to Mr Shambe, the president instead instituted a team to do a due diligence and that the matter would need the chief government valuer to ascertain the value of the land.

At the Monday sitting, two sisters Hajati Fatuma Namutebi and Ms Sarah Nalubega testified in connection with the dispute.

Arrest warrant

Last week, the land probe ordered for the arrest Ms Namutebi and Mr Musoke for defying witness summons which required them to appear and explain fresh accusations on the land.

As of yesterday, the arrest warrant had not been effected. Mr Suuza said that Ms Namutebi and Mr Lule jointly with Mr Henry Kaaya were expected to show up.

 “The police [are] looking for them and they will be presented upon arrest,” Mr Suuza said.

Sitting at the National Records and Archives Centre in Kampala, the Commission is inquiring into the law, processes and procedures in land acquisition, land administration, and management in the country.