{UAH} Namulonge land given away before Cabinet decision, says Migereko-this is how they run state affairs

Namulonge land given away before Cabinet decision, says Migereko

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A man rides through the gates of National Crops Resources Research Institute in Namulonge, whose land was given to businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, for a flower growing project. PHOTO BY DOMINIC BUKENYA 

By Farahani Mukisa

Posted  Sunday, August 30  2015 at  01:00

In Summary

Not aware. The minister said he was surprised when his colleague reported in Cabinet that the land had already been allocated to Mr Sudhir.

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Kampala. Cabinet had halted the giveaway of Namulonge National Crop Resource Research Institute (NaCRRI) land, which was handed to property mogul Sudhir Ruparelia for flower farming, Sunday Monitor has established.
On March 18, 2014, the Minister of Lands, Mr Daudi Migereko, wrote to the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) chairman, Mr Baguma Isoke, expressing shock that the Namulonge land had been approved for transfer to Mr Sudhir, yet Cabinet had stayed the giveaway.
Mr Migereko said he had discussed the matter with the ministers of Agriculture, Investment and the National Agricultural Research Organsiation (NARO) and Mr Isoke, to suspend any decision on Namulonge land to allow proper consultations.
"I guided during that meeting that no decision be taken on this matter until consultations had taken place involving NARO," Mr Migereko wrote.

Migereko surprised
"I was taken by surprise when my colleague [Ms Aidah Nantaba] reported in Cabinet that this land has already been allocated without a feedback from the user department [NARO], let alone without any further discussions on this matter with other key stakeholders," Mr Migereko added in his letter to Mr Isoke.
In the letter, Mr Migereko requested Mr Isoke to update him on the current status of Namulonge land, cautioning him against defying the Cabinet resolution.
"Your constitutional powers over land notwithstanding, Cabinet also directed that land allocation be stayed until further guidance is provided," Mr Migereko told Isoke.
However, on September 5, 2014, referring to President Museveni's previous letter of August 5, 2014, Mr Migereko wrote to Mr Isoke telling him to implement the presidential directive and brief him on the progress in two weeks.
In the August 5 letter, Mr Museveni had rejected Mr Migereko's proposal to give away the land for flower growing. Museveni argued that a similar proposal by a previous investor, who wanted the land for tomato growing, had been rejected by the Uganda Land Commission.
"I do not approve of giving Namulonge land to a flower grower because flowers do not have back and forward linkages like tomato processing or using that land for its original purpose of cotton research," Mr Museveni told Migereko in the August 5 letter.
However, in March, Mr Museveni changed his earlier position and recommended that the land be given away for flower growing.
On March 12, Mr Museveni wrote to Mr Migereko telling him he had changed his earlier position on the land transfer.
He recommended that Premier Roses be given the land on a 49-year lease. However, the company has since been given the land on a 99-year lease effective from June 1.
Premier Roses is part of the Ruparelia Group, owned by Mr Sudhir.
While defending the Namulonge land deal in Daily Monitor on Friday, Mr Sudhir said he was given the land by three ministers, including State minister for Agriculture, Lands and minister for Investment, as well as NARO, who gave letters of "no objection."
Documents this newspaper has seen show that NARO council chairperson was opposed to the land giveaway and often expressed discomfort over the deal.
Mr Isoke, however, on Friday said he is not aware of what the ministers were referring to that was passed by the Cabinet. "There was no such a Cabinet decision regarding Namulonge land giveaway. Let them produce the Cabinet paper where it is filed. At least I am not aware of it," he said by telephone.
NARO director general, Dr Ambrose Agona, declined to comment on the matter. However, a source challenged Mr Sudhir to produce evidence that NARO agreed to the deal.
"NARO is the rightful owner of the Namulonge land and any final approval must be from its governing council and the Parliament and not from any ministers or the Uganda Land Commission," said the source who preferred to remain anonymous.

The law
The National Agricultural Research Act 2015, a law that establishes NARO, mandates that any land managed by NARO is under the guidance of the body's Governing Council and the Director.

fmukisa@ug.nationmedia.com

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