Govt forensic laboratory has 'fake' land title

Sep 22, 2016

However, on close scrutiny of the copies of the certificate of the land title that had been presented, Masaka Municipality MP, Matthias Mpuuga observed that the documents didn't have particulars of the acreage on the land in possession.

CAPTION: Director Government Analytical Laboratories Kepher Kuchana(right) shows legislators documents as permanent secretary ministry of Internal Affairs, Steven Kagoda(L) looks on while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on September 21, 2016. Photo by Miriam Namutebi.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have said that the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories (DGAL) could be possessing a forged land title on which their head offices on plot 2 to 4 Lourdel road, Wandegeya sit.

The matter came to the fore during an interface with the ministry of internal affairs where they presented the original certificate of the land title issued by the Uganda Land Commission (ULC).

This followed the lawmakers forcing the internal affairs officials and DGAL management to present original copies of the land title after learning that the 2013/14 auditor general's report had indicated that although the ministry possessed various pieces of land in different parts of the country, they lacked certificates of titles for government land.

Although the permanent secretary in the ministry of internal affairs, Stephen Kagoda admitted that, they were yet to acquire land titles for the ministry headquarters on plot 75 Jinja road, Mbale regional government laboratory on 15-35 Lyadda road, Mbarara regional government laboratory on plot 7 Ktunzi road and the Gulu regional laboratory on plot 4 C princess road, they had been able to secure the land title for DGAL headquarters on plot 2 to 4 Lourdel road, Wandegeya in Kampala.

However, on close scrutiny of the copies of the certificate of the land title that had been presented, Masaka Municipality MP, Matthias Mpuuga observed that the documents didn't have particulars of the acreage on the land in possession.

"I think what these people are peddling as a land title is a forged document because it is not possible for a land title to lack the particular size of the land in possession. You are seasoned public servants that ought to know these things because without the size of the land being documented, surveyors and valuers can't do their work," Mpuuga said.

The MPs wondered why the ministry only decided rush to process the land title after the auditor general had raised eyebrows about ownership and whether the officials in charge took time to verify the authenticity of the certificate of the land title when it was issued.

As the DGAL head, Kepher Kuchana Kateu tried to explain to the now charged lawmakers, Kagoda chipped in to admit that he didn't verify the authenticity of the land title when it was issued.

"We didn't forge the document members, it was given to us like this but because we had chased after it for a long time, when I received it, I was very excited to think about verification. I even wrote to the DGAL director that the document is very valued so it should be kept in safe custody but we are going to contact the commission to help us know if it was a mistake or it's a matter of authenticity," Kagoda pleaded.

The MPs led by the committee chairperson Angelline Osege were prompted to put the officials under oath to admit that they presented fake documents to Parliament and call for an investigation into the matter when Kateu in response to a question on the size of the land said that, "I think the land is between 2 to 4 hectares."

Ntugamo Municipality MP, Gerald Karuhanga argued that "a serious deception must be surrounding ownership of the land for a whole director to say that the land is about 2 to 4 hectares which means it is about 10 acres. These people didn't do due diligence in acquiring the land title, I am even skeptical they are sure the person who signed the title does exist."

The other bone of contention was a photo copy of a document seeking for processing of the certificate of the land title that indicated that the plot of land was 2 and 4 while other documents showed the plot was 2 to 4 Lourdel road.

Agago district woman representative, Judith Akello said that, "plot number 2 and 4 means there are only two plots while plot number 2 to 4 means there is plot 3 in the middle, so alternating the plot numbers on various documents means someone wants to confuse about the existence of plot 3."

The DGAL headquarters built in 1927 are currently in a dilapidated state requiring agent renovation; most of the machines and equipment are obsolete to carry out sufficient tastes while others are broken down; causing a backlog of over 150,000 unresolved criminal cases according to the auditor general's report.

Kateu said they need an extra Shs7.3 billion from the current Shs1.3 billion being allocated if they are to clear the 150,000 case backlog to expedite justice for criminal suspects.

The committee also heard that DGAL contracted for construction of the Gulu regional laboratory at a sum of Shs436 million to commence on January 28, 2008 to July 28, 2008 but the building was not complete by 2014 when the auditor general wrote the report.

Kateu explained that, "we completed the building in 2016 but it lacks equipment and regents for currying out tastes due to inadequate government funding but we use it as a collection center for Gulu regional samples."

The other facilities that were queried include the Mbarara laboratory whose contract was signed in May 2009 for construction within twenty six calendar weeks at Shs522 million but was completed four years later and still without equipment and the Moroto analytical lab that was done in 2014 but still unutilized to date.

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