The Budadiri west Member of Parliament and Nathan Nandala Mafabi is still not satisfied with the way Justice minister Gen Kahinda Otafiire acquired government land at Njeru stock farm.
Gen Otafiire, on Wednesday afternoon session in Parliament threatened other legislators after Speaker Rebecca Kadaga had asked him to present documents pertaining the acquisition of the land in question.
“I have received a complaint from certain people who say that the person behind this is Muhangi. I don’t know whether that is the same man who went and broke the building in Jinja. Unfortunately, as these things happen the name of Otafiire is mentioned. For that matter, we need to know the relationship between Muhangi and Otafiire. And who is this Muhangi who cannot be touched?” she said.
As the legislators debated about the issue, Otafiire came on the floor where he said court had instructed him to throw off people occupying the said land (Njeru) because it’ was his.
This did not go down well with members, with Nandala saying, “I’m very sure Kahinda Otafiire is not born from Buganda. He comes from somewhere and Njeru Stock Farm has been around before he even became a minister. There is a reason as to why the government put up this land. Now Otafiire, because he is the minister of Justice, uses the court to issue orders for him to take this land.”
On Thursday Otafiire also tabled documents before parliament which indicated that he owns the land on plots 295,280 and 283 in Njeru municipality. While presenting them, he said he bought the land from the late Kato Fredrick Lukwaju and Christopher Lule who were the administrators of the estate of late Enock Ssebowa.
He said that he legally acquiredthe 50 acres of land of Njeru stock farm since he bought it from a private individual.
“ The government does not have any title of the land since it belongs to late Kato Fredrick and Christopher Lule who sold it to me. The deceased were the administrators of the estates of the late Enoka Sebowa and Gustar Seruwo who were the first proprietor of the land and they are the one who sold it to me,” he said.
other documents he presented included; a copy of the certificate of title, sale agreement copy, a judgement of the Buganda Lukiko on the land dispute and copies of letters of administration.
However, to Nandala, the presented documents were forged.
“Otafiire used his office to grab that land, this is not the first case, there are many cases where his name is involved but he has gone through without any inquiries, now he has presented his forged documents before us. That land has been there before he even came to Kampala and it has been a government land,” said Nandala.
To conclude the matter, the Speaker promised the House she would study the documents and give a ruling next week.
The 1,099-acre farm located at Bukaya West Village, in Njeru municipality, is one of the government farms managed under the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank. It hosts a demonstration farm, a breeding centre and a research centre, among other facilities, however, more than 504 acres, have been illegally acquired by private individuals.
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