The long-running dispute over the contested Njeru Stock Farm has taken a new twist after Water and Environment Minister Major-General Kahinda Otafiire revealed that the disputed land was being explored for gold and other minerals before the project was halted.
In a lengthy statement posted on X on Tuesday, Otafiire accused State Minister for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama and unnamed government officials of frustrating what he described as a legitimate mineral exploration venture.
He, however, rejected claims that he owned or operated a gold mining project on the land, saying mineral ownership belongs to the government under Ugandan law.
The latest revelations widen a dispute that has largely centred on competing claims over ownership of the land, introducing a new battle over possible mineral wealth beneath the contested area.
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The controversy follows Otafiire's earlier defence of his ownership of land on what he says are Plots 3 and 4 of Block 295 in Bukaya, which he maintains are separate from the government-owned Njeru Stock Farm located on Plot 2.
Otafiire has previously accused Rwamirama of presenting what he described as a selective account of the land's ownership history, insisting that he legally acquired his property from administrators of private estates.
His latest statement was triggered by a July 15 newspaper report alleging that soldiers had evicted gold miners operating on the disputed land and that the activities were linked to him.
"On 15 July 2026, the New Vision ran a story that the army had evicted gold miners from Njeru Stock Farm and went ahead to further state that the said miners were under my employ and that I owned the gold mining project," Otafiire wrote.
The minister dismissed the allegations, arguing that ownership of land does not automatically translate into ownership of minerals beneath it.
"One may have or own the land where the mineral deposit is found (land rights), but the ownership of the subsurface minerals (mineral rights) belong to the government of Uganda in trust for the people of Uganda," he said.
Otafiire explained that the exploration was undertaken by TAAYASA Minerals Limited, a company owned by mining engineer Sam K. Njuba Jr., who approached him seeking permission to investigate possible gold and mineral deposits on rocky outcrops within the land.
"I was approached by a company called TAAYASA Minerals Limited. His proposal was for me to grant him access and permission to carry out prospective investigation into the likelihood and occurrence of gold and or other mineralisation on the rocks on the Njeru outcrop," he said.
The minister said he initially had doubts about the proposal but later agreed after considering Njuba's technical background and his willingness to finance the exploration independently.
According to Otafiire, the exploration yielded promising results before it was interrupted by government intervention.
"The mining exploration activities that were carried out were very promising until the greed, ignorance and lack of savoir-faire exhibited by Hon. Bright Rwamirama and Co. that led to the storming and demolition of his investment," he said.
He claimed the action left the investor facing financial losses after privately financing the exploration activities.
Otafiire said his agreement with Njuba was structured in a way that he would only benefit if commercially viable mineral deposits were confirmed.
"My honest bargain with Mr Sam K. Njuba Jr was upon his confirmation of commercial quantities of mineral deposit, either gold or any other, in exchange for a share in the venture or royalty payments," he said.
He added that he was willing to surrender land rights required for licensing if exploration confirmed commercially viable deposits.
The minister suggested that the dispute over Njeru Stock Farm could involve interests beyond livestock production, questioning whether the facility remains a strategic investment given the area's growing industrialisation and possible mineral potential.
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"Is the presence and existence of the stock farm amidst the growing industries in the area still a strategic investment or a Trojan horse to compulsorily acquire land in Njeru and the hidden treasures buried under for some selfish interest?" he asked.
The claims add another dimension to a dispute that has already involved Cabinet ministers, Parliament and President Yoweri Museveni.
Government, through the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) and the Ministry of Agriculture, has maintained that Njeru Stock Farm is a strategic public livestock facility and that private titles affecting parts of the land should be reviewed.
Rwamirama has defended the government's position, arguing that the stock farm remains public property, while Otafiire insists that the 90 acres he owns were legally acquired from private estates and fall outside the government land.
With the introduction of mineral exploration claims, the battle over Njeru Stock Farm has now expanded from a land ownership dispute into a wider contest over the area's potential economic value.
