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    How Tororo Cement Boss Gagrani, RDC And District Officials Grabbed 152 Acres Of Land From Locals

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    During the one-week fact finding tour of Eastern Uganda, the land probe team led by Commissioner Dr. Rose Nakayi and Commissioner Joyce Habaasa Gunza has discovered shocking evidence of how top Tororo tycoons, politicians and district officials fraudulently grabbed public land.

    The residents of Tororo district revealed to the commission that their land was grabbed by district officials and Indian tycoon Brij Mohan Gagrani, one of the top bosses at Tororo cement. Other district officials pinned included Martin Orachi, the Residence District Commissioner (RDC), Jackson Osudo the deputy Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Harriet Among the District staff surveyor and David Okurut, the former Osikur sub county MP. David Apiyewon, one of the community leaders in  Nyalakoti revealed to the commission that in 2009, Gagrani fraudulently wrote a letter to Tororo District Land Board (TDLB) asking for a piece of land to establishing a community school as a way of their company’s corporate social responsibility to give back to the community.

    Apiyewon testified that Gagrani used Tororo Cement headed paper to write the letter and on behalf of the TDLB, Jackson Osudo, who is the secretary to the board and also the deputy CAO replied confirming that the land Gagrani was asking for was available.

    Apiyewon said that surprisingly, within a short period of time, TDLB members sat and quickly approved Gagrani’s application. It was stamped by Osudo (deputy CAO) and Okurut who was the chairperson of the TDLB.

    Apiyewon said that Gagrani was fraudulently given 1.8 hectares of land at Oriyo A zone along Tororo Malaba road. He said that the land was allocated to Gagrani under the guise of establishing a school, belonged to the cattle keepers’ community in Tororo district but they were never consulted. He said that in 2012, the community members rose against Gagrani but he used police and military men to forcefully evict them from the land which they used as a veterinary centre to treat their animals. He said that during the forceful eviction, their cattle dipping centre was destroyed by military men and some of their cattle was stolen.

    He said that the grabbed land was given to the colonial government by the locals in 1948 to establish a veterinary centre for the community and since then, the land belonged to the government. He said that they challenged the way their land was given to Gagrani.

    When they went to Tororo cement to demonstrate, they learnt from there that Gagrani was never told by the company to establish a school on behalf of the company and that it was a crime to use the company’s headed paper to commit fraud. They were also told that Gagrani was going to be disciplined by the company. Apiyewon added that they investigated further and found out that the said school was not for the community but it was a private school called KP Uganda Education Academy. He revealed to the commission that the school was owned by Gagrani with 70% shares and Okurut with 30% shares. He said that Gagrani and Okurut extended their land from 1.8 hectares as given to them by TDLB to 16.5 hectares and even titled it in the names of KP Uganda Education Academy on block 51 plot 154. He said that they went to the land registry of Tororo district to complain but they were told by some people that the entire land was plotted and titled in freehold land titles.

    He told the commission that they discovered that other beneficiaries included Among, the district staff surveyor, Orachi, the RDC and Osudo, the TDLB secretary. He added that about 152 acres were already taken. They mobilized themselves to resist the grabbing of their land but surprisingly, during the night, Orachi, Among and Osudo came with military men and surveyed it.

    He said that at first, they removed the marking stones but RDC Orachi come back with heavy machines which fixed the marking stones deep underground. He said that after being frustrated by their leaders, the community members collected money to go to court. However, they got a ‘bush’ (quack) lawyer who connived with the district officials to frustrate their case and up to now the case is still in Tororo High court. Residents further told the commission that the RDC had become a land broker who negotiates land deals with investors and as a result many people have lost their land.

    They also pinned TDLB for giving away all the public land to ‘bush’ investors. Commissioner Joyce Habaasa put John Mwanga the Tororo district cartographer on spot to explain how the land in question was titled and new blocks and plots were created. Mwanga told the commission that he was not aware of the titling of the land, he asked the commission to ask the district staff surveyor to explain. When Commissioner Rose Nakayi asked osudo, the TDLB secretary to explain whether all steps were followed when the land was given away, he said that all the procedures were followed and the communities were consulted, his explanation angered the residents who tried to attack him, he was saved by the heavy security.

    TORORO GIRLS SCHOOL IN BITTER WAR WITH NEIGHBOURS OVER LAND

    The commission also entered into a land wrangle between Tororo Girls School and their neighbours over land. Tororo girls ran to the commission after a group of eight families claimed the 77 acres of land belonging to the school. A group led by John Okwit claims that the 77 acres of land were theirs since 1960s and they were paying land rent to the district. Okwit revealed to the commission that their parents donated 20 acres to the school to carry out agriculture in 1980s but in 2013, the school used force to fence off the land. He added that the school also used force and destroyed their property and food. However, Harriet Aryong one of the teachers at Tororo girl’s school testified that the said land was given to the school by the ministry of Education and sports. She said that the ministry bought the land from TDLB and compensated all the tenants on the land in the 1990s.

    She said that most of the tenants vacated the land but Okwit and others pleaded with the school to allow them to stay on the land to first cultivate their crops. The school administration gave them time since they were members of the school administration.  She added that surprisingly, when the school told them that they wanted to start using their land, they resisted and claimed ownership of the 20 acres.

     

    By Jamil Lutakome

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    Attorney General, DPP Oppose Anti-Homosexuality Bill

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    The Attorney General and the deputy director of Public prosecutions (DPP) have opposed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.

    While appearing before the parliamentary committee on legal affairs on March 18th, the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka said the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a duplication of existing laws.

    “Our criminalisation of homosexuality clause 9 of the new is a duplication since it is catered for in CAP 120 of the penal code,” he said.

    The Attorney General said the penal code is supposed to be the main penal law of the county, adding that it is hard to detect, investigate, prosecute and sentence homosexuals since the act is done in private.

    The deputy director of Public prosecutions James Odumbi was in agreement with the Attorney General.

    However, officials from the Ministry of gender labour and social development supported the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

    Hellen Asamo (state Minister for disability affairs) and Rose Lilly Akello (state Minister for ethics and Intergrity) both agreed that it was important to have the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.

    These argued that the Bill, if passed, will protect the cherished cultural values of Uganda and protect children against the acts of sexual minority rights activists.

    Abdul Katuntu told the committee that, though homosexuals do the act in private, crimes are not only committed against individuals but society.

    President Museveni said Thursday that he needed a scientific opinion on homosexuality and that the subject would be discussed conclusively another time.

    The parliamentary committee on legal affairs is currently scrutinising the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023 that was spearhead by MP Asuman Basalirwa.

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    Hoima District LC5 Chairman Dies In Car Accident

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    Police in Kiboga registered a fatal accident on March 17th that claimed the life of the Chairman LC5 Hoima District Kirungi Kadiri.

    Kirungi, brother to Tumusiime Amlan (RDC Kikuube District), was involved in an accident at Mataagi village, Bukomero Town Council along Kampala – Hoima highway.

    Kirungi and his escort Police Constable Otim Bosco died on spot during the incident.

    The accident involved motor vehicle registration number UAH 053Q (Prado Land Cruiser) and UBB 059Z (Fuso fighter).

    According to traffic police spokesperson Faridah Nampiima, the incident was caused by a driver who was trying to dodge a pothole.

    “It is alleged that motor vehicle Reg No UBB 059Z which was travelling from Kampala to Kiboga side and being driven by a yet to be identified driver on reaching Mataagi bridge, tried to dodge a pothole. The vehicle swerved off from it’s Lane on to it’s right hand side, and met motor vehicle UAH 053Q which was heading to Kampala side from Hoima,”Nampiima said.

    The bodies of the deceased (Karungi and Otim) were taken to Kiboga hospital mortuary for postmortem.

     

     

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    SMACK SAGA: Archbishop Dragged In Bro. Mpanga’s Woes – More People Complain about Bro.Mpanga After IGG Dossier…

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    Bro. Simon Mpanga and Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere

    The noose on St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) headmaster just keeps getting tighter.

    Following a recent petition to the Inspectorate of Government (IGG), which we published here, several other complaints, mainly from the Brothers of Christian Instruction of the Catholic Church to which he belongs have come out to pin Bro. Simon Mpanga on a litany of cases.

    The Brothers are not happy that Bro. Mpanga and his scheming cartel have dragged the Archbishop Paul Ssemogerere into their deals.  They say, the 66-year-old Bishop is naively being dragged into the selfish cartel’s schemes without really understanding their underlying motives.

    “We respect the hierarchy of the church but Archbishop involving himself on which brother should head our schools is wrong. That should be left to the religious superiors of brothers and sisters because they know their people better and their opinions should be respected. Likewise, you can’t ask a Brother or a sister to appoint a parish priest for the parishes. As we respect the church we can’t talk everything there are many other things the man of God has done that we can’t bring them at table,” they state.

    According to a source who called us with additional information, Mpanga’s crooked ways of doing things started long time back.

    While he was in the formation house at Kanywa training for brotherhood, he got involved in a well-orchestrated money scandal in which he duped Bro. Gerald Byaruhanga, who was then in charge of students in the training.  He convinced him (Bro. Byaruhanga) to hand over to him the entire students’ welfare budget after presenting him forged papers that the borrowed money was to make super normal profits. He however never received a penny back.

    “That was the end of the story.   The community suffered for a long time sometimes they could go to bed on empty stomachs because of Mpanga’s devilish actions,” they reveal.

    They further say that Bro. Mpanga kept convincing Bro. Gerald Byaruhanga that things were going to be okay until he couldn’t stomach the lies any longer. The matter was reported to the Provincial Superior and his council and they immediately recommended that Bro. Mpanga should be expelled.

    The source further adds that Bro. Mpanga pleaded for pardon and was given a second chance after Bro. Gerald interceded on his behalf with Bro. Superior. That wasn’t the last of his follies.

    This website has learnt that his money problem followed him while at Kasasa where the then Bro. Tony Lubwama headmaster by then put him in prison because of the money he ate from Tanzanian students. It was Bro. Mutebi who bailed him out.

    At St. Mary’s College Kisubi which he is now fronted to head, he is accused of eating money of the students who were going outside the country for debate and some have completed their S6 without getting their back. He purported he would process passports and visas for them to go attend debate in South Africa and USA whilst they were in s.3. Whereas some who pushed hard were refunded by the school. Others were not so lucky and left the school four years later without their money nor passports.

    They narrate that when the Brothers learnt the behavior of their colleague they vowed not to work in their schools and that’s when Mr. John Agaba former commissioner and former Brother got him a place in Trinity College Nabbingo.

    “Things didn’t go well at Nabbingo and Bro. Mwebe former provincial tried to get him a place at SMACK but Mr. Mwaka who was a caretaker of the school then refused him because he knew his dubious character through Bro. Edward Bukenya who had worked with Mpanga and chased him because of his actions.  When Mr. Mwaka left SMACK, Bro. Mpanga somehow sneaked back in” they detail.

    It is also revealed that while at SMACK, he deceived a parent that the school vehicle was stuck in a bond and that it required 7000 USD for taxes and the parent gave it to him while it was for his personal use. The parent has never been refunded to date.

    And when news started circulating that Bro. Mpanga was among the short listed for SMACK leadership, the college Chaplain went to provincial and shared his concerns about the impending disaster this would bring on SMACK.  He warned him that if you want SMACK to die give it to Bro. Mpanga. The Chaplain also warned the Brother Superior at SMACK a one Bro. Pius Ochwo about Bro. Mpanga.

    They also point out that the SMACK Entebbe House was renovated four years ago with tenants. He collects money that is never remitted on the school account it goes to personal use. They also say that he got shs30m from the school claiming that he was going to renew the lease for the SMACK Entebbe house which up to date has never been processed or even accounted for. Imagine this is the fellow now being put in charge of over 3 bn collected every term. He will devise means to steal the money. Little wonder that he involves himself in every procurement even for tomatoes.

    His greed is unprecedented for a man who is supposed to live a life of chastity. One wonders where does this money go? One theorizes that he is using the brotherhood to amass wealth and as soon as he is in position to live the life he craves outside brotherhood, he will then quit the institution.

    They also claim that during the Covid 19 days, he stood surety for an accomplice at Entebbe Police who was accused of stealing a motor vehicle. The accomplice jumped bond and  police was looking for Bro Mpanga who went in hiding until the issue was resolved.

    In the missive sent to the IGG, it was pointed out that during lock down, he embarked on a go fund me crusade to raise money from unsuspecting parents under the guise of collecting funds to give the teachers who were suffering from the ravages of the lock down. He collected so much money but ate all of it. His insatiable appetite for money and the length to which he will go to get his hands on money is astounding.

    It is theorized that being the con act that he is, the board members backing him have a perfect ally in whom contracts and other works will be lined up through their stooges and money will be siphoned. The brothers are shocked that old boys through their SMACKOBA group are looking on while a wolf is being put in charge of the sheep.

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