The ongoing parliamentary probe into the contentious Shillings 10.6 billion compensation to six claimants by the Uganda Land Commission–ULC continues to raise eyebrows among policymakers.
The most notable payment is the disbursement of up to Shillings 2.039 billion through Lubega & Buzibira Company Advocates to 79-year-old Natalia Namuli in Kagadi District. Namuli neither owned any land nor demanded compensation.
Recently, Uganda Land Commission officials confirmed before the lawmakers that they did due diligence and verified Namuli as a legitimate claimant for the compensation.
However, the interdicted ULC Chairperson, Beatrice Byenkya Nyakaisiki has severally refuted the claims.
Following the contradictory claims between the ULC boss and her Commissioners, Parliament under the then-Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga instituted an Ad hoc Committee to investigate the matter. Notably, the Committee in its report claimed to have visited Namuli and accordingly legitimized her claims.
While appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authority, and State Enterprises – COSASE on Thursday last week, Kyle Lubega, a co-owner of the law firm first told the lawmakers that in 2020, Namuli walked to their chambers to seek legal aid after the Government dragged on with her reparation.
Lubega noted while he had limited interaction with Nimuli through a phone conversation, his partner Richard Buzibira was at the forefront of handling most of the cases compelling Government to pay the first installment of Shillings 450 million and later Shillings 1.589billion in early 2022.
The lawyer also confirmed that when the law firm received the money in its account, he signed a cheque in which his partner Buzibira withdrew all the money, and deducted their 10 percent in legal fees before handing over the balance to Namuli.
But to the contrary, Namuli, a resident of Nyakasozi village, Nsunga Sub-County in Kagadi district denied receipt of the compensation in question in a statement recorded by the detective Assistant Inspector of Police Bunny Twesigye.
It is against this background, that URN seeks an answer to the puzzle of how Namuli was paid yet she does not own any land? How and who prepared her paperwork at the ULC? Where did the compensation money finally go after the law firm acknowledged its receipt?
Inspector Twesigye revealed that the payment was a syndicate initiated by Namuli’s son-in-law Peter Amara, a businessman in Kagadi town who also doubles as a politician.
It also involved officials of the ULC and the lawyers who transported Namuli to Kampala, housed her in a hotel, and made her put thumbprints on several documents without any explanation.
Asked whether they may consider summoning the ad hoc Committee that investigated Namuli to inform their report, the Committee Chairperson, Joel Ssenyonyi, who doubles as the Nakawa West Constituent MP said it would not be necessary.
Preliminary Committee investigations reveal that Lubega & Buzibira forged the signature of then Masindi High Court, Justice Ralph Ochan to initiate a letter of administration, which their collaborators at ULC based on to process the fraudulent compensation.
The forged letter of administration issued on March 18, 2015, presented Namuli as a legitimate granddaughter and the administrator of the Late Antwane Kalete to whom the compensation was paid in lieu.
The Committee called for the disbandment of ULC over the swelling burden of improprieties. The committee is investigating allegations of fraud, abuse of office, and negligence by the Commission that have caused billions of financial loss to the Government.
