NFA boss arrested over Kajjansi forest give away

KAMPALA- Mr Mr Michael Mugisa, the executive director of the National Forestry Authority (NFA), has been arrested and subjected to further investigations in connection with the alleged fraudulent allocation of Kajjansi Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in Wakiso District.
The Commission of Inquiry into land matters chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire handed over Mr Mugisa to police detectives to record a statement why he told lies regarding transactions that led to the titling of Kajjansi CFR by private developers.

He was also ordered to reveal all offenders against forests and how much NFA staff know about encroachers.
“You [Mugisa] have a longer statement to make and my orderlies will take you. We would like you to make another statement to explain why you did not tell the truth because it is difficult to convince a reasonable person that a syndicated deal was done without your knowledge,” the visibly furious Ms Bamugemereire said.
The seven-member Commission also ordered Mr Mugisa to reveal his financial secrets by providing the various bank accounts where he transacts.

Justice Bamugemereire also directed NFA’s legal manager, Ms Ruth Kisakye to make a statement with the Commission regarding accusations of neglect of duty, obstruction of justice and her conduct towards concerns of forest destruction raised by whistle blowers and private tree planters.
Accused of fraud, Ms Kisakye was also directed to provide her financial transaction details by revealing her bank accounts to the Commission.

Justice Bamugemereire explained that Ms Kisakye’s name was cited by various people while the requirement to declare her bank accounts details was meant to ascertain the flow of money in the sale of forest lands.
Mr Mugisa was quizzed over various correspondences and transactions that led to titling and degradation of Kajjansi CFR at the expense of private tree planters.
Flanked by Ms Kisakye, Mr Mugisa was questioned over his alleged neglect of duty, corruption, connivance with fraudsters to deprive government of her property, causing financial loss and failure to exercise authority.
Mr Mugisa whose tenure expires on January 31 this year, becomes the second top NFA official to be questioned in relation to operations of private developers in the forest reserves without following the due process.
It is alleged that in December 2011, NFA board chairman, Mr Gershom Onyango while serving as acting Executive Director issued a no objection to private company, Logistic Real Estate and Developers Limited leading to unlawful acquisition of land titles.

Documents presented before the commission show that Mr Onyango’s letter of no objection without the consent of the then board of directors and advice from the legal department of NFA led to the partitioning of Kajjansi CFR into thirteen plots measuring in hectares before being transferred into other companies; International Camping Sites and Super Resort Limited owned by businessman Ephraim Ntaganda and his brother Cedric Nsongoza.

Other encroachers on the forest land gazetted in 1932 include Uganda Clays Limited that has since parcelled and sold out various plots as well as private people including Victo Nabbanja, Annet Babirye and Ibrahim Mude.
The commission heard that in March 2016, Mr Ntaganda sold the same land to another businessman Eria Mubiru, of J2E Investments Limited at a cost of $2.5 million there by depriving government of its property and causing financial loss.

In his defence, Mr Mugisa who admitted knowledge about the complaints by the private tree planters in 2013 but no action was done to reverse the situation that led to plotting of the forest reserve into more than 13 plots measuring in hectares.
“We (NFA) have never got any success despite the effort to have titles cancelled. We only succeeded in not allowing people to settle and we have running court cases,” testified Mr Mugisa blaming the titling of Kajjansi forest land to frustration by other government agencies including Wakiso District authorities and the lands ministry.

Describing the degradation of Kajjansi forest as regrettable, Mr Mugisa denied dealings with encroachers including Mr Ntaganda and Mr Mubiru in the purported transaction saying that the two businessmen came to his office for inquiry.
Asked why no single certificate of title has been cancelled amid alarming reports and no caveat emptor issued by NFA, Mr Mugisa insisted that since 2013 investigations are still ongoing and that complainants will have to know after.

He said that NFA has gone through difficulty to have wrong titles cancelled because of the nature of transactions and the syndicate used in acquiring the land titles.
“I am proud for the contribution I have made where more than 70,000 hectares which were heavily encroached on have been restored. About 150 titles have been cancelled in Kyewaga, Nonve, Kayunga and part of Mukono,” Mr Mugisa said.