Retired UPDF officer arrested for grabbing NARO land

KAMPALA. A retired captain of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and a private surveyor have been arrested for allegedly providing false information in connection with fraudulent acquisition of land belonging to Mbarara Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MBAZARDI).

The Commission of Inquiry into land matters ordered for the arrest of Capt. (rtd) David Bashaija and a surveyor, Mr Mituseera Katusabe.
Capt. Bashaija was detained on Thursday evening at Wandegeya Police Station pending investigations into allegations of threatening violence against government officials attached to MBAZARDI.
Commission Chairperson, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire also ordered for the arrest of Mr Katusabe over accusations of giving false and contradicting information.

Justice Bamugemereire directed Mr Katusabe to make another statement before the commission investigators detailing how he executed survey work that gave rise to compensation of Capt. Bashaija for 3.5 acre land belonging to MBAZARDI.
Capt. Bashaija was arrested after being questioned on how he acquired and occupied 31.8 hectares of the government land through his Ngabo Academy of Science and Development at Kashari in Mbarara District.

It is alleged that in 2005, Capt. Bashaija and former health minister, Brig (rtd) Jim Muhwezi fraudulently acquired the disputed land.

Evidence before the commission indicates that Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has since paid Ngabo Academy of Science and development Shs260 million and are expecting more Shs1.3 billion for compensation to pave way for the construction of the Mbarara Northern By-pass.

In his testimony, Capt. Bashaija confessed that he acquired the land jointly with Mr Muhwezi to establish the school to support orphans of fallen soldiers.
Before his arrest, Mr Katusabe accused of neglecting his duty, confessed that he never visited the disputed land but only made a report on acreage.
He testified that he made the report recommending for payment of Ngabo Academy for Science and Development for land belonging to government.

Evidence before the Commission shows that the land on freehold formerly utilized by government stock farm and later allocated to NARO was forcefully acquired by the academy.

It is alleged that Mr Katusabe working through COWE, a consulting firm, valued Shs1.5billion for 3.5 acres of land in favor of Ngabo Academy while Shs1.5 billion was valued to compensate NARO with 22 acres.
Earlier on, the chairman of Uganda Land Commission (ULC), Mr Baguma Isoke testified that Ngabo Academy of Science and Development fraudulently acquired the disputed land.
He said ULC wrote a letter for cancellation of the land title held by Ngabo Academy of Science and Development due to lack of proprietor right over the land due to fraud in 2016,.
Sitting at the National Records and Archives Center in Kampala, the Commission at Wandegeya in Kampala is investigating into the law, processes and procedures in land acquisition, land administration, and management in the country.