Otushabire Tibyangye
27 August 2008
Mbarara — Mr Ahmed Begumisa, a resident of Mbarara, has appealed to President Museveni to help him regain his land from the army after efforts to use the courts were frustrated.
The 10-acre land, situated in Rubiri cell, Kakoba Division in Mbarara municipality, was grabbed by army officers on September 3, 2007 to allegedly construct a security facility.
Mr Begumisa, who visited Daily Monitor offices in Mbarara recently, said armed men went to his land, surrounded part of it and started destroying his property including trees, maize and potatoes gardens with the help of prisoners.
"After destroying my property, they pitched camped there and started fencing the land with the help of Mr Wilson Tumwine (Mbarara mayor) who ferried the fencing poles from BMTS factory," he said.
The soldiers from Makenke barracks in Mbarara said the President's Office wanted the land for security reasons. "This is to inform all the concerned authorities and persons that Unirectors (U) Ltd has been contracted by the President's Office to build a security facility at Rwemitongole forest land in Mbarara District," read a letter from one Julius Magembe, who signed as the director, administration and finance in the President's Office.
It is dated September 3, 2007 with the national emblem and a masthead of the Office of the President. However, it turned out that the letter was forged, since it was revealed that the so called Magembe was a masquerader and the position he quotes does not exist in State House.
In a September 20, 2007 letter to Mbarara municipality, the State House Comptroller, Mr Richard Muhinda, said, "The above person (Julius Magembe) has been masquerading as director of finance and administration in State House...This is to inform you that the said Magemebe is not an employee of State House and the post doesn't exist in our structure.
Secondly, State House is not carrying out any construction works on the above site." Mr Begumisa, who says he was the driver of Gen. Salim Saleh during the bush war, accuses Col. Emmanuel Rwashande, Capt. David Bashaija of Ngabo Academy, Charles Kanyankore and one Luwasa of being behind the scheme.
He accused Mr Tumwine of aiding the exercise, but the mayor denied involvement. "To me, the land belongs to NFA ," he said yesterday. The land in question is Plot 137 Block 4 whose certificate is yet to be secured. Mr Begumisa says he bought the land 1943 and has been living on it since.
The said land borders with National Forestry Authority land at Rwemitongore village near the army barracks. NFA claims the land belongs to it and that they allocated it to the army lawfully.
The late Director General of ESO, Mr Robert Masolo, confirmed in a 2007 letter that Unirectors were working on behalf of the army and acknowledged that the land was allocated to the army by NFA. But Unirectors Ltd doesn't exist, according to the Registrar of Companies.
"We write to inform you that a search has been carried out in the registry and Unirectors (U) Ltd has never been registered with us," the letter from the assistant registrar general reads.
The court process has been complicated by the failure to establish on whose orders the army men acted. Despite a reminder to the Ministry of Defence by the Ministry of Justice to investigate the matter, no action has been taken so far.
Mr Begumisa says he has lost hope of regaining his land and has been forced to seek audience with the President. "The act of some of these officers in the army puts our government to shame and the President should come to our rescue," Mr Begumisa said.
The 2nd Division publicist, Capt. Tabaaro Kiconco, said he was aware of the case but could not comment because the matter is before court. He, however, said ESO contacted the army to provide the facility with security.
"ESO contacted us at the time of the construction to guard this sensitive installation and that is what exactly what we did," he said.
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