The Bugiri Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Kevin Situma, has led a team of security operatives to arrest Juma Kabaale, the Kiwalazi Zone L.C.1 Chairperson for his alleged involvement in illegal land transactions.
Reports indicate that Kabaale, along with a group of individuals, was surveying a portion of land housing the Bugiri district headquarters, with the intent of selling it.
The land in question spans approximately three acres, and Kabaale was reportedly attempting to sell it for 45 million Shillings.
Situma stated that Kabaale was apprehended midway through the transaction and is currently detained at Bugiri Central Police Station.
Situma added that Kabaale has been involved in several land-related conflicts in the past, but there was previously insufficient evidence to take action against him.
Situma noted that many suspected land grabbers are influential figures who exploit their status to commit land fraud without facing consequences.
Bugiri Chief Administrative Officer, Joseph Mukasa, also expressed concerns about the prevalence of land grabbing in the district.
Mukasa highlighted that the district, which is situated on a 192-acre piece of titled land, faces challenges from politicians and neighboring residents who mobilize others to illegally settle on the land with the intention of future acquisition.
Mukasa explained that such activities hinder the proper execution of district projects, as officials are forced to deal with ongoing disputes with squatters.
He has issued a directive instructing all illegal settlers to vacate the district land within three months and return to their original areas of habitation.
Mukasa hopes that Kabaale’s case will serve as a warning to others involved in illegal land transactions.
In response to the allegations, Kabaale has dismissed them as baseless. He claims that he was invited by neighboring residents to oversee the process of opening boundaries with the district authorities and was wrongfully arrested as a land grabber.
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