Muslims petition President Museveni over Ssembabule land

RELIGION|LAND WRANGLES|MUSLIMS

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has appealed to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene in a budding land wrangle in Ssembabule involving a businessman, Albert Muganga.

The land is located at Bukiragi village in Ntuusi sub-county and is part of the five square miles on LVR 3693, Folio 12, Ranch 31A. Three of the five square miles were earlier acquired by the Government.

Recently, the UMSC sold the remaining two square miles but Muganga deployed the Police to deny the buyer access to the land. He also placed a caveat on the land.

In a July 28 letter to President Museveni, signed by Al-Haji RamathanMugalu, the secretary general of UMSC, the council alleges that Muganga is plotting to grab their land.

"Why would the Police help him to break the law?" UMSC wrote. "We request for your urgent intervention to stop this illegal activity and use of state resources as well as intimidation to grab our property," the letter states. The letter is copied to the Inspector General of Police, Okoth Ochola, and head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt Col Edith Nakalema.

Mugalu alleges that in 2013, Muganga and his wife, Ishta, through their company Enterprise Handling Services Limited, convinced the district Muslim administration into an illegal agreement for renting the land for 15 years. "We say it is illegal because our lower Muslim district administration has no authority to lease or rent land belonging to UMSC," Mugalu wrote. The council says the leadership ofthe UMSC informed Muganga about the anomaly. Mugalu said UMSC took the matter to the MP of Mawogola County in Sembabule district, Sam Kutesa, for intervention and proposed that Muganga either regularises the transaction or buys the land altogether.

Muganga, however, said the caveat on the land was advised by his lawyers.

"Handling Services is desirous of protecting its interests from being compromised and has been advised by its lawyers that the most prudent thing to do in the circumstances is to lodge a caveat on the land," he said.

In 2017, the Mugangas offered to UMSC a property in Nakulabye, Kampala, in exchange for the Ssembabule land, which fell through because it was later established that the property did not belong to them. Muganga then deposited sh280m on the UMSC account, which they took as compensation for the four years he had illegally used the land.

When asked about the impasse, Muganga said: "Entreprise Handling Services is legally using the land, running a seven-year lease. We advanced UMSC sh280m, so how can they say we are illegally occupying the land?"

He availed a Police order from Land Protection Unit to the Regional Police Commander of Greater Masaka, saying UMSC has been restrained from evicting him. The letter, signed by the Commandant, Karungi Annet, says there was a court order dated July 22 enforcing the stay of Entreprise Handling Services for a period of 30 days. It is expiring on August 30.