State House dismisses land grabbing claims against NWSC Deputy MD

Earlier this week, a woman named Irene Nalwoga came out accusing Dr Tumuheirwe and her husband of demolishing her partially constructed house in Katabi, near Lake Victoria.

In a video that rapidly spread across various platforms, Nalwoga claimed the couple not only destroyed her home but also encircled the property with a fence before razing it to the ground.

She alleged that this was done without any legal warrant and that her pleas for assistance had fallen on deaf ears across various governmental offices.

Contrary to Ms. Nalwoga's claims of being ignored by state institutions, the SH-ACU's statement paints a different picture. The Unit acknowledged receipt of her petition dated August 30, 2021, which accused Kisubi Police officers of mismanaging her case against Tumuheirwe for trespassing on her property. The ensuing investigations by the SH-ACU unearthed a series of complex transactions and disputes over the land in question.

According to the statement, Ms. Nalwoga's acquisition of the land itself is under scrutiny.

The Unit's investigations revealed that on January 5, 2021, Ms. Nalwoga purchased the kibanja from Ms. Alapo Barbara, who had earlier obtained it from Kyagaba Charles—a man currently embroiled in multiple land fraud cases.

The land dispute escalated when Dr. Tumuheirwe and Eng. Mwanika Alinaitwe laid claim to the land, boasting a certificate of title for an expanse that included Nalwoga's kibanja.

The revelations become more intricate as the Administrator General's office disavowed any knowledge of Ms. Barbara owning the kibanja or consenting to its sale, rendering the transaction unlawful according to Section 35 (1a) of the Land Act.

Furthermore, local authorities, including Mr. Kasujja David, LC1 Chairperson of Bugiri-Kiwulure Village, refused to endorse a land sale agreement presented by Ms. Nalwoga and Ms. Barbara, citing discrepancies regarding the rightful ownership of the land.

The case, after thorough scrutiny by the SH-ACU, was escalated to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further guidance. The DPP concluded that no misconduct had occurred on the part of the Kisubi Police officers in handling Ms. Nalwoga's case.

The Anti-Corruption Unit, in its statement, emphasized that Ms. Nalwoga had indeed received institutional support contrary to her allegations and suggested that the matter would be more appropriately resolved in a civil court due to its nature.