Mbale city officials arrested by State House Anti-Corruption Unit

Sep 15, 2022

The officials were picked up late evening on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, and detained at Mbale City Central Police Station.

The suspects were later taken to Mbale City Central Police Station. (Photo by Javier Silas Omagor)

Javier Silas Omagor
Journalist @New Vision

Seven top officials of Mbale city have been arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) for the alleged sale of government land.

The officials were picked up late evening on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, and detained at Mbale City Central Police Station.

Daniel Mayombo, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit lead investigator said the suspects illegally connived to sell government land which they were meant to protect.

By Thursday 15, 2022, more arrests were expected to be made in relation to the irregular sale of Nakaloke Town Council land.

Situated in Nakaloke T/C in Northern Division, the land measuring approximately 20 acres was sold to private developers in 2020.

A section of the disputed land used to host the premises of the town council, a football pitch, shops and a police station.

For an area that grapples with shortage of safe and clean water, the same land hosted up to three boreholes which the residents have been relying on.

Seven Suspects

Among the seven arrested was Aaron Mulyanyuma, the town clerk of the now defunct Nakaloke T/C accused of working with some councilors and other officials to sell the said land to a developer, Ismail Mukakandi.

At the time the land was sold to him, Mukakandi served as the worker’s representative as well as workers’ committee secretary, at Mbale city council.

Mulyanyuma’s deputy, Kassim Waboga, Monica Wazemwa, Physical Planner, and Mary Nambuzya, the Health Inspector were all picked up.

Others apprehended are Nakaloke T/C area land committee members such as Sarah Kauza, Zebia Edyawu and Godfrey Washemba.   

‘Complaints from concerned residents’

Late last year, Mbale City Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Ahmed Washaki intervened in the standoff after receiving several complaints from the concerned residents.

“We have guided on this matter but our people do not listen until it is too late,” Washaki said.

The same controversial land dispute attracted the attention of the minister for local government, Raphael Magyezi.

Officials are said to have sold the land to a private developer under irregular arrangments. (Photo by Javier Silas Omagor)

Officials are said to have sold the land to a private developer under irregular arrangments. (Photo by Javier Silas Omagor)

After holding a couple closed-door meetings with the concerned parties, Magyezi recommended a thorough and independent investigation into the matter.

He cautioned against the sale of government property by local leaders stressing that such a mandate was the prerogative of Parliament.

The Mbale city former RCC, Suleiman Barasa Ogajjo now deceased wrote a letter dated January 28, 2020, addressed to Mulyanyuma directing him to desist from illegal sale and giveaway of the land within the town council.

Just like Ogajjo, Loyce Nambozo the former Chief Administrative Officer Mbale also issued the same deterrent directive.

However, the authorities and the developer defied the directives and continued with their developments on the land in question.

According to the developer, Mukankadi, he purchased the land lawfully after an advert.

“If there is anyone to be answerable to this whole mess-up, it is Mbale city officials who sold the land to me. I did not get it fraudulently but legally from them,” Mukankadi reasoned.

The suspects including Mulyanyuma strongly refuted the allegations with the latter claiming that such is aimed at tarnishing him and ruining his career.

Mbale’s land-grabbing debacle

Land cases are a big phenomenon in Mbale city to the extent the developers are erecting structures on sanitary lanes, access roads and on sewer lines.

Early this year (2022) during Tarehe-Sita national celebrations held in Malukhu Grounds in Mbale City, Mufti Sheik Shaban Mubajje asked President Yoweri Museveni to establish an inquiry into what he described as rampant land grabbing in the area.

“Land grabbing is wasting away this new city and I kind urge you Mr. President to intervene,” Mubajje pleaded. 

Mbale Uhuru Park where national functions used to be hosted along Busamaga Road adjacent to the High Court was also privatized under unclear circumstances.

Today, what used to be Mbale Uhuru Park is infested with high-end residences and hospitality businesses such as hotels and guest-houses owned by individuals.

In 2016, the same city lost its town clerk official residential home when another developer evicted the then town clerk Edward Lwanga from the Masaba A premises in senior quarters, claiming ownership of the same property.

Using the same tricks, the Christian cemetery in Malukhu was also snatched away from the government.

The development left Mbale city without a public graveyard for the Christian faith with the only one in existence for the Moslems in Malukhu ward.

Currently, residents together with environmental activists are embroiled in another protracted debate with the city officials who have threatened to erase the Mutoto Forest along the Mbale-Tororo road.

The officials’ reason is that having the forest cut down would lead to town expansion hence employment.

“This forest helps clean the air of the city especially when we have industries that emit a lot of carbon. As environmentally enlightened town dwellers, we have resolved to do everything to save Mutoto Forest,” Edwin Wabombo, a resident said.

As they fight to preserve the forest, a significant amount of Mbale City dumpsite at Doko along Mbale -Tirinyi road has also been taken away by the developers.

Experts say that land grabbers exploit the fact that most of the public land in Mbale city is not titled.

“They work with insiders to establish untitled land, move very fast to title it and with the fraudulently processed ownership documents they go ahead to evict government entities,” Oscar Mukholi said.  

Mukholi and the rest of the concerned residents now hope that the coming of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit will help sanitize the Mbale city land debacle.

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