IGG Launches Investigation into Shs 28.8 Billion Compensation Scandal Involving Top Tycoons and UETCL Executives

The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Namisango Kamya, has launched a high-profile investigation into allegations that top city tycoons colluded with Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to fraudulently secure Shs 28.8 billion in compensation from the government. This investigation follows concerns raised by Dr. Sam Mayanja, the State Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development.

Dr. Mayanja’s complaint centers on claims that the land compensated by the government was public property, and that the tycoons involved fraudulently obtained the land titles used to claim the compensation. According to Mayanja, preliminary investigations have revealed that the tycoons acquired land titles for properties including LRV 4143 Folio 2 Plot 14 and LRV 4143 Folio 3 Plot 16, among others, after learning that the government planned to build the Namanve-Luzira 132 KV transmission line.

Mayanja alleges that the individuals involved include Flavia Muntuyera, Asuman Irunga, Delmas Apartments Limited, Prestigious Apartments Limited, Aisha Mulungi, and Irene Kwera. He further claims that Muntuyera and Irunga were listed twice in the compensation claims, suggesting they received double benefits. Additionally, Mayanja accuses these tycoons of failing to pay the required stamp duty when the land titles were issued.

In response, Mayanja has instructed the Commissioner of Land Registration to place a caveat on the disputed land titles until the investigation is concluded. He has also urged the IGG to pursue legal action against those implicated to address the alleged financial losses to the government.

The controversy is compounded by a recent legal settlement, where the tycoons had previously sued Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka, UETCL, and the Commissioner of Land Registration. The settlement, reached out of court, awarded the plaintiffs Shs 28.852 billion as full and final compensation for their claims on the land. Sources within the Ministry of Lands confirm that the compensation was paid to the beneficiaries.

However, in September 2023, Attorney General Kiwanuka issued a legal opinion advising against compensating land titles in wetlands. His advice was aimed at those claiming compensation for land affected by the Namanve-Luzira transmission line, based on Section 44 of the Land Act, which governs environmentally sensitive areas.

The Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters, chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, had previously recommended that individuals with private land titles in the Namanve and Luzira wetlands should not receive government compensation.