By Ben Musanje
The public spat between Kasambya County Member of Parliament David Kabanda and businessman Odrek Rwabwogo has taken a fresh turn, with the legislator now accusing the Senior Presidential Advisor of irregularly acquiring government land at the Nshaara Government Ranch in Kiruhura District.
Kabanda, who serves as Executive Secretary in the Office of the National Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), made the allegations in a post on his X account, calling on Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to investigate the allocation of seven square miles of land at the government ranch.
According to Kabanda, the land was allegedly allocated to Rwabwogo despite objections from local leaders. He claimed the land was acquired on the understanding that it would be used for bull fattening but has since been subleased to third parties, with efforts reportedly underway to process land titles.
Kabanda argued that the allegations warrant urgent parliamentary scrutiny, adding that anyone dissatisfied with his claims was free to present the matter to President Yoweri Museveni.
The latest accusations add to the growing public exchanges between Kabanda and Rwabwogo, who chairs the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) and a son-in-law of President Yoweri Museveni.
Rwabwogo, a brother-in-law of the Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba who is the boss to Kabanda, had not publicly responded to Kabanda’s allegations by the time of publication.
The claims also revive longstanding controversies surrounding the Nshaara Government Ranch, one of several state-owned ranches that have been at the centre of disputes over alleged encroachment and irregular occupation.
According to previous reports by the Daily Monitor under the headline “Encroachers Grab Government Ranch Land,” officials from the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) raised concerns that large portions of government ranches, including Nshaara, had been taken over by private individuals.
The reports indicated that Nshaara Ranch had suffered years of encroachment, with government agencies struggling to protect public land due to inadequate enforcement, boundary disputes and delays in securing land titles.
The ranch forms part of Uganda’s livestock breeding and genetic improvement programme and is managed by NAGRC&DB under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
The Daily Monitor further reported that disputes over Nshaara Ranch have previously resulted in court battles and allegations involving influential individuals accused of occupying government land, although those accused denied wrongdoing.
Kabanda’s latest allegations are therefore likely to reignite debate over the management and allocation of public ranch land, especially as Parliament continues to scrutinize the protection of government assets.
It remains unclear whether the Agriculture Committee will take up the matter or whether the government agencies responsible for managing the ranch will respond to the fresh allegations. Similarly, Rwabwogo had not issued a statement addressing Kabanda’s claims by press time. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
