Gov’t takes over Dei Biopharma’s land acquisition in Matugga

WAKISO - The Government has taken over the land acquisition process for Dei Biopharma, a multibillion-shilling drugs and Vaccines manufacturing Company located at Matugga in Wakiso District. 

The company seeks 600 extra acres of land to add to the existing 400 acres, targeting to widen the buffer zone with its neighbours as one of the conditions set by experts to acquire international certification.

During a community engagement meeting held on Friday at the Matugga campus, three ministers, including the Attorney General, Dr. Sam Mayanja, the Minister of Lands and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba and the state minister for privatisation and investment, Hajati Aminah Mukalazi, briefed residents about the land acquisition process.

“We might even realise the tenfold growth strategy we are talking about as government before the anticipated time if we achieve our goal here. We are all impressed with what we have seen so far,” Nabakooba stated. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

Responding to complaints raised by some community members that the matter should first be taken to parliament for debate, Mayanja said Article 98 of the Constitution of Uganda defines the powers of the President and that his ministers were acting on his instructions.

The founder and proprietor of Dei Biopharma Dr. Mathias Magoola, the Wakiso Resident District Commissioner, Justine Mbabazi and her assistant in charge, Nansana, Charles Lwanga, among others attended the meeting. 

The ministers declared that since the Government bought shares in the company, it had taken over the land acquisition process and aimed at expediting the process following instructions from President Yoweri Museveni, who is passionate about the company meeting the requisite conditions for it to get international certification.

“We might even realise the tenfold growth strategy we are talking about as government before the anticipated time if we achieve our goal here. We are all impressed with what we have seen so far,” Nabakooba stated.  

Minister Mukalazi said the President was responding to a briefing from Magoola following concerns from scientists that communities were too near the facility.

Magoola thanked the president for sending the ministers to engage the communities to ensure the process is expedited. He called upon Ugandans to support the project.

He moved with a team of land experts including commissioners, land surveyors and valuers. The process kicks off on Wednesday this week with a sensitisation meeting that will be attended by area local leaders, landlords and bibanja holders.

“We intend to fast-track the process and report back to the President, who instructed us to ensure nobody is forcefully evicted but that we use peaceful negotiations. We must do this in the shortest time possible,” she said

The process will include opening boundaries to ascertain everyone’s size of land or kibanja, surveying and carrying out verification and ascertainment of rights. The land valuation team will carry out the exercise using the available market values in the area.

Nabakooba said the government will also pay disturbance allowances to the affected residents to enable them to move quickly.

The ministry will also send a mediation team to listen to complaints for them to reach consensus.  

Nabkooba, however, said that for residents hesitant to move, the government would apply Article 26 of the Constitution, which allows the Government to use the compulsory acquisition of land provision to move them.

“We want the communities to understand that the government is interested in their land; they must therefore stop bothering Dr. Magoola; he is an investor who is bringing development to Uganda and Africa,” she said, adding that any complaints must be addressed to the three ministers.

“When the President directs three of his ministers to come to the scene, then you know it is a very serious matter; we must fulfil his vision,” Mayanja said and assured the affected neighbours that they will all be compensated to the last penny.    

He added, “We are not here in vain; we are here to carry out that high vision of the President to make sure that this land is obtained.”

Responding to complaints raised by some community members that the matter should first be taken to parliament for debate, Mayanja said Article 98 of the Constitution of Uganda defines the powers of the President and that his ministers were acting on his instructions.

He said that although the same constitution gives citizens the right of protection to their property, it also gives powers to the President to acquire land anywhere for national development.

“Nobody has a constitutional right to block the government if it is interested in taking over any land,” he told the residents.   

Mukalazi said the President was responding to a briefing from Magoola following concerns from scientists that communities were too near the facility.

“The government is also concerned that fumes from the factory might affect the health of people living nearby; moving is also to the benefit of the close neighbours,” she explained, adding that the President had mandated the three ministers to use a ‘whole government’ approach and remove all the bottlenecks that are affecting the investment, beginning with land acquisition.

She said that the government had heavily invested in Dei Biopharma and it was 100 percent willing to invest in its expansion.

“Those who are not willing to move are enemies of progress and development. But it is good that most of the residents here have expressed willingness to be paid and immediately acquire land elsewhere,” she said.  

“The radius and how far away people should be is the main reason we need more land to ensure that we secure the facility to acquire international certifications,” Magoola told the meeting.

He thanked the president for sending the ministers to engage the communities to ensure the process is expedited. He called upon Ugandans to support the project.

“This project is a pride of Uganda and Africa as a continent. We will be manufacturing biological drugs and vaccines that we have been importing but buying expensively,” he said, adding that the over 30 factories at Matugga will also manufacture the much-needed Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and excipients that drug manufacturers import from developed countries. 

Francis Ssekiriwo, the chairman of Wabitembe LC1, one of the affected villages, asked the ministers to ensure the process is free and fair.

The Gombe Division mayor, Hawa Nyindo, appealed to the ministers not to involve third parties like brokers in the compensation process to ensure the right beneficiaries get paid.