Uganda Land Commission (ULC) Chaiperson Baguma Isoke says the commission has never participated in the land give away deal, which culminated into demolition of Nabagereka Primary School but the select committee chosen to probe this matter found it hard to believe Baguma’s explanations pertaining to the land grabbing sagaWhile appearing before the committee chaired by Buvuma Islands Member of Parliament Robert Migadde, Isoke told Member of Parliament last week that the Uganda Land Commission had made an attempt to doll out land on plot 11049 to an investor in 2011, but backtracked on their decision when they learnt that the land belonged to Buganda Kingdom.
“We were responsible for the activities before 2011, but after that [period], we are not responsible either for the land or for the building” he pleaded with the Members of Parliament who could not believe his explanations.
“Uganda Land Commission is neither the owner of the land nor the school [Nabagereka P/S] but in history around the year 2011, an application was entertained by the Uganda Land Commission for the lease over that land, but the commission promptly found out that, that land had been handed over to Kabaka in 1993”
Thus, “that transaction before Uganda land Commission was nipped in the bud, meaning that we had no role in its demolition”
His submissions prompted the legislators to question his integrity or that of the Uganda Land Commission in the matter.
“Do you know where your land is? Because you said that you had attempted to give away Nabagereka Primary School not knowing that it didn’t belong to you; would I be wrong to accuse you of assisting land grabbing?” asked Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament Mathias Mpuuga.
Isoke who had earlier told the committee that his entity holds the smallest percentage of land in Kampala, was tasked to tender all files pertaining to all transactions made between his entity and all public schools operating within Kampala.
Asked to tell how much land his entity is running, Isoke said “Our area of operation is the smallest” and went on to break down how land is shared in Kampala. According to his breakdown, private sector enjoys the lion’s share with 35%, followed by Buganda Kingdom and Religious bodies at 25% respectively.
He said, his body, Uganda Land Commission holds only 10% of the land in Kampala.
However, MPs pressed him to account for the remaining 5% of the land, an issue he couldn’t address, saying “that is why I have used the word approximately”
MPs also tasked Isoke on Shimon Demonstration School which was demolished to give way to the proprietor of Kingdom Hotel Investments, a foreign investor to erect a five-star Hotel ahead of CHOGM conference which Uganda hosted in 2007 which never was.
MPs were concerned that instead of the Hotel, the land is being used as a “washing bay” requiring him to tell them about the details of the lease agreement which they entered.
In response, he said that “there is an agreement that you can’t nip in the bud, the title was issued in 2005 and there is development taking place there; the deal is done, and the questions being asked are not meant for the Uganda Land Commission, but the initiators of the deal”