The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is reportedly facing growing internal tension amid serious allegations of corruption, abuse of office, nepotism, and mismanagement involving Permanent Secretary Docus Okalanyi.
Okalanyi, who previously served at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs before joining the Lands Ministry in 2016, is accused by several ministry insiders of presiding over what they describe as a deteriorating work environment marked by fear, favouritism, and alleged corruption within the institution and its Ministry Zonal Offices (MZOs).
According to sources within the ministry, some staff members are allegedly being forced to pay millions of shillings in exchange for favourable deployments and transfers to lucrative stations such as Wakiso, Mukono, and Kampala.
“Registrars, surveyors, planners, and land officers are reportedly paying between UGX 30 million and UGX 50 million to secure good stations,” one source alleged.
Lower cadre employees, including typists, office attendants, and cartographers, are also reportedly being asked to part with between UGX 10 million and UGX 15 million for transfers and deployments, while some graduate trainees allegedly pay money to remain within the system.
Insiders further claim that Okalanyi, who hails from the Bugisu sub-region in Mbale District, has allegedly built a network of relatives and close associates within the ministry, particularly in the Wakiso and Mukono zonal offices.
Sources allege that the Acting Commissioner for Human Resource, Harriet Akello, operates under direct influence from the Permanent Secretary on staffing matters, allegedly bypassing established human resource procedures.
Officials who reportedly disagree with the Permanent Secretary are said to face transfers, frustration, or removal from sensitive positions.
One former Under Secretary, identified as Juuko, was reportedly pushed out following disagreements with the ministry leadership.
Workers also allege that a monthly allowance of approximately UGX 200,000, previously enjoyed by staff before Okalanyi’s appointment, was discontinued without explanation shortly after she assumed office.
Employees deployed to distant stations such as Moroto, Gulu, Lira, Kabale, and Masindi reportedly continue to work without adequate housing or transport facilitation despite being stationed far from their families.
Some staff members further claim they fear applying for leave due to what they describe as intimidation and pressure within the system.
“There are women returning to work only days after giving birth because they fear losing favour,” one source alleged.
The ministry is also facing allegations linked to fake land titles and land grabbing syndicates allegedly operating within some registries.
Sources claim that the deployment of graduate trainees into sensitive registry offices without adequate supervision has created loopholes that fraudsters exploit to process illegal land documents and access confidential registry information.
Further allegations suggest that some district officials continue operating within MZOs while still earning salaries from local governments, allegedly using ministry offices to pursue private land transactions.
Staff members additionally accuse the Permanent Secretary of frequently being absent from office and travelling abroad, particularly to the United States, while administrative challenges continue to mount within the ministry.
In one of the more unusual claims, insiders alleged that an office attendant has been operating across three separate MZOs — KCCA, Jinja, and Mpigi — allegedly through bribery and influence, while also performing duties outside her official role, including typing sensitive land documents and titles.
As pressure mounts, insiders say staff morale within the ministry has significantly declined amid growing complaints of corruption, internal conflicts, and administrative irregularities.
Workers are now calling upon the appointing authority to urgently intervene and investigate the allegations before, as some insiders warned, “the system completely collapses.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from Permanent Secretary Docus Okalanyi were still underway by press time. This publication will update the story once her response is received.
English 