KAMPALA .
The acting Commissioner for Land Registration in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr Baker Mugaino is in trouble over allegations of corruption .
This followed numerous complaints from the public to the Inspector General of Government (IGG),which prompted investigators to search Mr Mugaino’s office on April 24. Mr Mugaino is accused of fraudulent cancellation and transfer of land titles, which has been a longstanding issue dogging the country’s land management system .There are allegations that Mr Mugaino has been cancelling genuine certificates of titles, arbitrarily lifting caveats, and facilitating multiple titling of land.
During the search, evidence of alleged malpractices was retrieved , including issuing freehold titles to foreigners, changing mailo land to Freehold titles without following procedures, and disregarding court decisions.
Ms Beti Kamya, the IGG has since directed the Permanent Secretary in the line ministry , Ms Dorcas Okalany to interdict Mr Mugaino to allow thorough investigations into allegations leveled against the latter . “The interdiction will pave the way for investigations into allegations of fraud, cancellation and transfer of land titles,” Ms Kamya said in a letter dated April 25.
Ms Okalany is expected to inform the IGG of the action in seven days.
Land has in the past two decades become a lucrative business and a lot of mailo land which used to be idle has since been subdivided to create multiple plots for sale , but there has been reported double titling in many areas especially in Central Uganda which has created conflicts . In other instances , sitting tenants have been evicted by powerful moneyed people without considering their inherent right of occupancy .