The deputy Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Lieutenant-General Charles Angina has ordered the arrest of the OWC coordinator for Mbarara Municipality, Captain David Bashaija, over alleged misconduct.
The order was issued on Saturday night after a meeting with all OWC coordinators from Ankole and Kigezi sub regions held at Lake View Resort Hotel Mbarara.
Angina explained that retired Captain Bashaija had been subjected to investigations and it was found out that he has been using his position to grab land including 31.8 hectares from the National Agriculture Research Organisation (NARO) Institute in Mbarara.
He further revealed that although there are other enncroachers onthe land who will also be dealt with, Bashaija should be arrested immediately. He assigned Colonel Sikaji Tumusiime Ankole regional OWC commander to have the Captain Bashaija arrested by today Monday March 13th 2016.
The order comes barely a day after President Museveni who was in Mbarara on Friday ordered that encroachers on the NARO institute's land to vacate immediately.
Museveni who was speaking on Friday at the handover of 40 tractors to farmers in the cattle corridor at Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research Development Institute along Mbarara-Bushenyi road.
The president revealed that he was not happy to learn that some residents of Mbarara have descended on land meant for research development and decided to fence it off and use it for personal gains.
The president therefore ordered that the traditional boundaries of 1,300 acres of land must be restored as a matter of urgency saying that the government would not have loved to first use force against the encroachers.
According to Dr. Imelda Kashaija, the deputy director general for NARO, indicated that the agricultural research development institute in Mbarara has lost 31.6 hectares to Captain Bashaija. Another 64.3 hectares of land has been occupied by a businessman identified as Ibrahim Sali who transferred it to Hajuni investments.
Captain Bashiaja however told our reporter that the order to have him arrested was not issued in good faith. He says that he acquired the land from the Uganda Land Commission and that if they are interested in taking it up, they should instead work out a clear procedure that will see him compensated.
