By BM
A presidential adviser has condemned the 36-year delay in implementing a government directive to allocate land for development, calling the inaction “neglect of duty” and equating it to corruption.
Rebecca Atwiine, the Special Presidential Adviser on Special Duties and Anti-Corruption, made the strong remarks during a community meeting in Banda Sub-county, Kyankwanzi District, where the government officially handed over one square mile of land to Makerere University.
The land, part of the six square miles of land for Ranch 16, is set to host a long-awaited Agro-Industrial Park.
“It has taken 36 years, but we all should be glad that it’s finally taking shape because we have been in disobedience,” Atwiine said. “Neglect of duty is corruption. When we have a duty and we neglect it, that’s corruption in itself.”
The land was officially handed over by Minister of State for Lands, Hon. Sam Mayanja, to Makerere University Chancellor Dr. Crispus Kiyonga.
The project is expected to catalyze agricultural development in the cattle corridor through research, value addition, and job creation.
Atwiine’s comments marked a sharp critique of the government’s own past inefficiencies, pointing to institutional inertia and lack of follow-through on presidential directives.
She cited Article 17(1)(i) of the Constitution, which obliges every citizen to fight corruption, stressing that government failure to act also undermines national progress.
“We always talk about corruption as theft of money, but it’s broader than that. Failure to implement the president’s directive for over three decades is a form of corruption through neglect,” she added.
The delay, according to Atwiine, deprived the area and the country of opportunities for transformation and improved livelihoods.
However, she praised the current efforts to correct the course and called on residents to embrace the project.
“This Agro-Industrial Park is not just a university project, it is for us Ugandans,” she said. “It will improve our cattle, increase agricultural output, create jobs for our children, and boost our exports. Aren’t we all benefiting?”
To address concerns about displacement, Atwiine clarified that the designated land may fall within unoccupied areas.
However, should the project affect current land users, the law will guide the process, and fair compensation will be ensured.
“One of the leaders informed the minister that the square mile could be carved from land without occupants. But if it covers occupied land, the law will prevail and there will be fairness,” she assured.
Local leaders, residents, and officials from the Uganda Land Commission witnessed the handover, which signals the long-awaited operationalization of a directive that had remained dormant since the late 1980s.
The Makerere University Agro-Industrial Park is expected to be a model for integrating academic research with practical, community-based development.
For many in Kyankwanzi, the event brought optimism but also served as a reminder of how deeply systemic delays can stall national progress. “Neglect of duty ends today,” Atwiine declared. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
