By Isaac Wandubile
There was drama on Friday in Bujumba Village , Buhiriri parish, Bombo sub county Hoima district as the Minister of State for Lands Sam Mayanja ordered the arrest of two people implicated in the forgery of a land title measuring two square miles. The Minister during a locus visit, ordered the arrest of businessman Abdul Malik Mugisa and his driver Hakim Hairora.
Hon Mayanja learnt during the meeting that Mugisa had connived and had the land title registered in the names of Mr. Hairora. The land in question is being contested between Mugisa and Mrs. Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki.
Nyakaisisi, who formerly served as chairperson of Uganda Land Commission is the administrator of the contested land following the death of her husband Noah Harry Byenkya Kasigwa back in 2018.
During the meeting, the minister questioned Mr. Hairora on how his name ended up on the land title, but his answers were less than convincing. Hairora ultimately admitted that he was tricked by Mugisa to have his name used on the title with the promise of a 1% share or the proceeds once the land was sold.
“I am not the owner of the land. He (Mugisa) is the owner,” Hairora owned up. On his part, Mugisa admitted having the land registered in his driver’s name. But when pressed by the minister, he changed his statement and told the meeting that he was not the landlord but a mere tenant.
Hon Mayanja ordered the Hoima RDC to arrest both men on the spot and to investigate and arrest all people involved in the title forgery. He also ordered for cancellation of the land title, and for the district security council to provide protection to all 500 tenants on the land.
“Those who have been evicted must be reinstated on the land. You are all entitled to be on that land and protected by law, nobody should touch you,” he said. “Mr. RDC, you must provide security to these people to make sure nobody disturbs them. If you allow an illegal eviction you will be held accountable.”
On her part, Mrs. Byenkya thanked the minister for his intervention stating that this was the beginning of the journey to recover the land stolen from her family. She stated that Mugisa had connived with court authorities to steal the family land at the time her husband was bed ridden and that she was unable to fight back until after the husband passed away in 2018, making her the land administrator. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at [email protected]).