Brig. Cyrus Bekunda Besigye, the Uganda People’s Defense Forces Engineers Brigade Commander.
About 20 residents at Namataba town council in Mukono district accuse the Uganda People’s Defense Forces Engineers Brigade Commander, Brig. Cyrus Bekunda Besigye of land fraud.
The residents claim that the brigade commander connived with his estate manager, Siraje Ssegujja, a resident of Maya to sell over 25 plots of land on Kyaggwe block 165 but later restricted them from accessing their acquired plots of land.
Bob Mulinde, one of the residents who bought the land, says he paid money to the estate manager in May last year before Brig. Bekunda signed their sale agreements and transfer documents.
However, after the sale of all plots of land, Brig. Bekunda fenced off the entire block as well as deploying armed UPDF officers to restrict access by the owners who had paid and had their transfers signed.
Another buyer, Godfrey Biire Kisawuzi says they thoroughly verified the land, went through proper channels of acquiring the land and paid money to the estate’s manager as recommended by the brigadier.
He however says that heard that Brig. Bekunda and his manager got misunderstandings over money but the wrath was instead transferred against innocent buyers who had fulfilled their obligation of paying for the plots.
Kisawuzi reveals that they bought the contested land with an intention of developing it but currently they are limited by the military deployment.
Brig. Bekunda says one of the complainants by the names of Biire Kisawuzi connived with his estate manager to take his land.
“I have been the registered proprietor of the land since 2007 and on 11 August, 2017, I transferred it to my company called Ntinda Infant school ltd where I am a co-director and a shareholder as well,” he notes.
He adds that he had trusted the estate manager to subdivide the land on his behalf with an intention of transferring it to the beneficiaries of his wish but instead received shocking information from the Mukono land office that his land had been transferred into other names which he lacks knowledge about.
He however says the contention about the said land is being handled by the State House land unit and anytime soon they shall arrive at a logical conclusion.
Nathan Bwogi, the State House Land Unit Lawyer says they have had various engagements with the involved parties to end the dispute. Bwogi says the land unit has advised Brig. Bekunda to withdraw the deployed soldiers because under the laws such work can only be sanctioned under the police directorate of operation.
–URN
