Museveni aide slams govt officials for using their offices to grab land
Ms Phionah Barungi the presidential assistant on special duties speaks to journalists at her office on December 4, 2023. Photo | Busein Samilu
What you need to know:
- Ms Barungi was responding to questions on why her office and several others that President Museveni has put in place, continue failing to end land grabbing despite their existence.
Senior Presidential Assistant on Special Duties, Ms Phionah Barungi, has said that a section of government officials including Ministers, Ambassadors, top army and police officers, and Registrars at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development plus all others from various offices are among those orchestrating land grabbing by either directly doing it or aiding the land grabbers.
Without naming particular individuals, Ms Barungi who was interacting with journalists at her office in Kampala on Monday said that she has handled several cases where high profile figures were causing havoc to locals by intending to grab their land.
"You people should stop tarnishing the image of the President. He entrusted you with the office to help the local Ugandans but you are doing otherwise. Many people have come to my office here and I have encountered several big officials with the recent being an ambassador whom I won't name here but he/she knows him/herself," she said.
"Commissioners at the Ministry of Lands, I am always at that ministry fighting for people whose titles have been changed. I am highly disappointed in a group of individuals who have chosen to use their offices to aid land grabbing instead of fighting it," she added.
Ms Barungi was responding to questions on why her office and several others that President Museveni has put in place, continue failing to end land grabbing despite their existence.
"Sometimes I pity the State Minister for Lands, Hon Sam Mayanja, the man has really tried his best. You go to his office and find over 70 people on his door waiting for him to help them, my office helps here and there but still you see the cases are overwhelming," she said.
"The president went to the Bush to fight for the less privileged. The land grabbing going on is done by Registrars and Commissioners at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development who are being used by some Ministers, top army officials, ambassadors, police, RDCs, State House Officials and highly connected rich individuals to fraudulently change land titles and other documents," she emphasized, appealing to the public to always report to her office anyone who claims to work for State House.
“I will verify and we weed out those impersonators. I am sounding a warning to all of you government officials, you know your names please stop tarnishing the name of the President, who is not always aware of your dirty dealings," she said.
