By KT Reporter
The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has remanded 11 people, including Gomba District officials, on charges related to land fraud and forgery.
They are jointly charged with Gomba District Deputy Resident District Commissioner Vincent Mugenyi and businessman Fred Kirenga, a resident of Naguru in Nakawa Division, who did not appear in Court.
The court presided over by the Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe issued a warrant of arrest against Mugenyi and Kirenga.
The court has directed that upon arrest, the duo should be brought and formally charged on April 30th.
Those remanded are: Kakooza Jasper, the Acting Commissioner Surveys and Mapping; Sitenda Nicodemus Magulu, a Physical Planner at Mpigi District Local Government; Bassajjangabo Hakim, the Senior Assistant Secretary at Kabulasoke Sub County; Ssiwuliliza Andrew Sserunkuma, the Chairman LC1 of Mpogo Village; Nakanwagi Gladys, a Labour Officer at Gomba District Local Government and former Secretary of the Gomba District Land Board; and Hajji Kayongo Badru Ismail, the former Chairman of the Gomba District Land Board.
Others are businessman Nuwahereza Allan Katakanya, security personnel Mudenyi George, Senoga Abudu, Nabimanya David, and Kisenyi Harunah, a boda boda rider.
Kakooza Jasper is accused of abuse of office for authorizing a letter on May 22, 2013, at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, representing that a piece of land under Grant No. 8286 was a lease that had expired in 2008 and reverted to government, when it was a freehold land registered under FRV 60 Folio 4 Gomba belonging to Madhvani Group Limited, thereby doing an act prejudicial to the interest of his employer.
Sitenda Nicodemus Magulu is accused of abuse of office for irregularly plotting Plots 32, 33, 34, 36, and 37 at Musongole, Gomba District, on November 10, 2016, overlapping with existing land comprised in FRV 60 Folio 4 Gomba belonging to Madhvani Group Limited. He, along with Mugenyi Vicent, is also accused of forgery and fraudulent procurement of titles between 2016 and 2017 in Gomba District.
Bassajjangabo Hakim is accused of forgery and fraudulent procurement of titles for his role in plotting and registering land in the names of Patrick Abaho, Kayanja Ben, and Muwanga Ibrahim. Nakanwagi Gladys and Hajji Kayongo Badru Ismail are accused of forgery for creating false Gomba District Land Board Minutes dated March 6, 2017.
Fred Kirenga is accused of fraudulent procurement of titles on June 15, 2020, for Block 311 Plots 36 and 37, knowing that another title for the same land already existed. Nuwahereza Allan Katakanya is accused of fraudulent procurement of a title for Block 311 Plot 51 on October 22, 2024, knowing that the land falls within an existing title belonging to Madhvani Group Limited.
Furthermore, Nuwahereza Allan Katakanya, Mudenyi George, Senoga Abudu, Nabimanya David, and Kisenyi Harunah are accused of forcible entry, destroying approximately two acres of tea plants and 540 acres of natural forest, and conspiracy to commit a felony on land belonging to Madhvani Group Limited between September 27, 2024, and November 8, 2024.
All the 11 accused persons who have appeared in Court have denied the charges.
Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya informed the Court that investigations are not complete because Mugenyi and Kirenga have not yet been arrested.
Muwaganya asked the Court to issue a warrant of arrest against them, saying the two jumped police bond and that efforts to trace them have been futile as per Detective Charles Mugerwa’s affidavit.
The former Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana, lawyer for the accused persons, attempted to apply for bail but was cut short by the Magistrate, who said it was late.
Rukutana then asked for a shorter adjournment, saying the Court’s inability to hear their application was regrettable.
Magistrate Esther Asiimwe has remanded them until April 30th 2025.
The accused persons were arrested by State House Anti-Corruption Unit detectives led by Brigadier Henry Isoke, working together with police-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
