Otafiire accuses Rwamirama of hiding facts in Njeru land dispute

Water and Environment Minister Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire has accused State Minister for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama of misleading the public over the disputed Njeru Stock Farm land in Buikwe District.

In a statement released on July 17, 2026, Otafiire also criticised New Vision journalist Etukuri, accusing him of presenting a one-sided account of the dispute and failing to examine court records and official documents.

Otafiire said reports on the land had shifted over time, with different claims made about which plots formed part of the stock farm. He argued that the changing accounts raised questions about the accuracy of the reporting.

The minister maintained that Plot 2 belonged to the late Ham Mukasa before it passed to his daughter, Barbara Lakeeri Nalubaale, whose beneficiaries included Sarah Namusisi and Ham Ssali. He said George Kasedde later became trustee for Brenda Nanyondo after Namusisi died.

According to Otafiire, Ham Ssali and George Kasedde sued Njeru Municipal Council over unpaid rent on the stock farm land. He said an arbitration led by Sam Mayanja cancelled the lease and ordered the land to revert to the owners after finding that rent had not been paid.

He added that Brenda Nanyondo later obtained Letters of Administration from the High Court in Mukono on July 21, 2023, before joining the administration of the estate through a consent judgment delivered on August 26, 2025. Otafiire said the land was then subdivided among beneficiaries, with parts of Plot 2 sold to other buyers.

The minister also cited a presidential directive issued on January 17, 2024, after the commissioning of the Modern Tiles factory. He said President Yoweri Museveni instructed the ministers responsible for Agriculture, Lands and Justice to allocate 450 acres of the Njeru Stock Farm land to Modern Ventures Ltd for industrial expansion.

Otafiire questioned why part of the land would be earmarked for industrial development if it was being preserved solely as a government stock farm.

He further referred to a letter dated March 14, 2025, in which Rwamirama allegedly informed the President that the stock farm had lost its legal interest in the land after the arbitration award and had no valid lease agreement with either Brenda Nanyondo or Ham Ssali.

The minister said a Ministry of Lands survey found that the stock farm occupied only 190 acres on Plot 2. He claimed the remaining land had long been subleased for residential development and that Plots 3 and 4 had never formed part of the stock farm.

Otafiire denied claims that he owned land on Plot 2. He said his 90 acres lie entirely on Plots 3 and 4 and that none of the recognised owners had challenged his ownership.

He added that Modern Ventures Ltd and related companies own about 160 acres, while other firms, including Keshwala Group, Seyani Brothers, Shreeji Glass and businessman Musa Were, control more than 320 acres on Plots 3 and 4.

Otafiire questioned why public attention had focused on his 90-acre holding while larger landowners had received little scrutiny.

He accused Rwamirama and his associates of presenting a selective version of events and urged the public to rely on court decisions, official surveys and documented facts rather than political claims.