Lands Minister, Judith Nabakooba, has ordered the arrest of four suspects for allegedly grabbing government land in in Iganga District.
The suspects include Hajj Hamudan Nkobe, Said Baga, Deo Wakabi, and Muhammad Swaga.
The contested land belongs to Nakalama Sub-County, housing a school and the Sub-County headquarters.
The minister learnt about this land row from area leaders who raised a complaint to her office that the district officials and local leaders are conniving with land grabbers to sell off thuge chunks of government land .
“Take Hajj Hamdan and you retrieve all the documents concerning this land from him. We even need the application forms he used to acquire the land and also let all the suspects make police statements. They should also tell us who permitted them to sign on the documents when they very well know this is public land,” the minister ordered .
Nabakooba directed the Resident District Commissioner to work together with police to retrieve all the documents from suspected land grabbers and make thorough investigations into the matter before March 11 when they are expected to convene again for a public hearing.
“We are going to use this time, between now and March 11, to retrieve all the paperwork, application forms, the titles, interview and interrogate those people who are involved such as the area land committee, the district members they are talking about, and the people who got the titles,” she said.
She cautioned leaders and government officials against selling government property and said the culprits will face the long arm of the law.
“ It’s a shame that government officials have descended on government land and are selling it for personal gains . This land has a school that has existed for almost 40 years and the sub-county headquarters,” a tough talking Nabakooba said while addressing concerned residents .
It is alleged that Hajj Nkobe initially had four acres of land on the Sub-County land and later acquired more four acres through the Sub-County Chief, Wakabi, and the area lands officials who signed on the documents and gave him the title.
Mr Hamidu Kawanguzi, the Nakalama Sub-County chairperson, said they tried to drag the land grabbers to courts of law but lost the case.
“Court looked at his documents and they got a handwriting expert who told us it is true the land was sold and the documents were signed,” Mr Kawanguzi said, adding that the district legal officer advised them to withdraw the case from court of law and they deal with the suspect out of court to save government money.
