EXCLUSIVE! Worry As Minister Kamya Secretly Meets Top Land Grabber

By Our Reporter

There is worry written all over faces of landlords in Kira Municipality in Wakiso district after Lands Minister, Betty Kamya, held a secret meeting with Alice Nabitosi, a front on a known land grabber, Yusuf Ssemakula.

Well-placed sources say the meeting between Kamya and Nabitosi happened on May 6, 2021 at the Ministry of Lands headquarters in Kampala.

PICTURED: Below, Nabitosi (in red top) arrives for her meeting with Kamya at Lands Ministry headquarters on May 6, 2021

Insiders say the meeting lasted over two hours.  

However, whereas this meeting may appear normal, it does not, to victims of Semakula’s land grab. Many of them did not know about the meeting nor its agenda.

One of the many victims of Ssemakula is Hezekiah Mukiibi, 74.

Mukiibi owns land on Kyadondo Block 185, Plots 8151, 8152, 8153 and 8154 (formerly Plot 385) and 2458 land at Namugongo, Kira in Wakiso district.

Since 2012, however, he has been battling Ssemakula, a prominent land grabbers in Kira Municipality.

In Mukiibi’s case, Ssemakula uses Nabitosi as his front in his land grabs and claims to have bought the said land from her at Shs600 million.

The cases he filed against Mukiibi include;

Kira Rd SD Ref 48-09-10-2014, Kira CRB 345 of 2015, , Kira SD Ref 53-09-10-2015, Kira SD Ref 50-09-10-2015, Kira SD Ref 49-09-10-2015, Kira SD Ref 52-09-10-2015 and SD Ref 51-09-10-2015 among others.

These cases were filed and sanctioned by rouge cops operating under Ssemakula’s instructions.

This should explain why the Directorate of Public Prosecutions closed off these cases.

“The facts and evidence show that Mzee Tempora Bisase engaged the services of the suspect Mukiibi Hezekiah who is a surveyor way before the year 2000. Clearly, a lot of work was involved and so was good will. There were equally instances of charity that were not documented. All in all, so many titles were created and dealt with as per the directives of Mzee Tempora Bisase, some may have been diverted as alleged, but in absence of a clear record of what happened when? Where? At whose instance? In whose favor? Renders it difficult to pursue criminal investigations and prosecutions. It is one person’s word against another. In light of B-66 we are of the view that the file be closed and put away,” the Assistant Director Public Prosecutions, James Odumbi Owere said while losing off these cases on January 29, 2016.

In fact, the DPP warned Nabitosi against giving false information in future lest she gets charged with giving false information.

“The complaint lacks merit and the case should be closed, the complainant should be advised against making false allegations in future lest she be charged with Giving False Information to a public officer C/S 115 ( c ) of the PCA.” Mr. Owere based his action on his conclusion in case Vide Kira SD 49/09/10/2015 where he said the complainant lacked evidence to back their claim.

As for Ssemakula, he was arrested several times but freed given his alleged connections and prefers a compromised system to carry on his agenda.

In fact, his file was sanctioned and the DPP found him wanting.

“The suspect Ssemakula Yusuf recorded a statement but denies being at the scene and being involved in the above cases. In our legal opinion, there is sufficient evidence on record connecting the accused to the preferred charges. An amendment to the charge sheet to add assault be preferred. All the accused be arrested and prosecuted,” Alex Michael Ojok, the Assistant DPP/Head Land Crimes guided on October 8, 2019.

“The moment you arrest him, the file is called,” a detective privy to dealings of Ssemakula told us recently.

Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesman, Charles Twine, in a recent interview said Ssemakula is a wanted man.

“But as far as I know,… Ssemakula Yusuf, whether he is in Uganda, I don’t know but he has kept in hiding and that one has remained a puzzle on the issues of land …. The allegation that he is protected by anybody is a lie. We would actually want to know the person who is actually protecting him. And if he knows that he is protected, why is it that his phones are ever off and he is never in public? ” Mr. Twine wondered.

Asked whether there are other cases against Ssemakula, Mr. Twine said, “At least I know two other cases where he obtained money from somebody up to a tune of one billion in that particular land. Of course the person could not occupy it because the person later learnt that the land had issues. So, the man doesn’t have land. Doesn’t have money and doesn’t have Ssemakula. And I can tell you, whether somebody is in hiding or has somebody who is protecting him at the moment, the position of Uganda Police is very clear. We shall give justice to the victim. We shall give justice to whoever is a party to this case no matter any claim of protection. There is no protection that is sanctioned by the police council. Somebody just hoodwinks the public that Twine is my friend, my boss but he may be acting as Twine as a person. That is blackmail and intimidation. I can tell you, it is just a matter of time. The 40^th day will reach, the criminal will be exposed and prosecuted.”

HOW SSEMAKULA OPERATES

According to sources, Ssemakula and his accomplices take advantage of a compromised system.

“Mukiibi does own this land. Kisosonkole family owned land but went broke. So, they took advantage of youthful estate managers. What they do, they identify unused pieces of land and create a connection with neighbors. They woo neighbors into signing agreements with them with claims they own the land. They then sell. That click aged and went. Now, there is Ssemakula. He lies that he was donated land. At his age, who donates to him 10 acres of land? For what? But he does this after identifying an unused piece of land. He approaches neighbors and woo them into creating an agreement. After, he takes on the fight against the genuine land owner. There is a meeting I attended where an old woman was asked what she did with Shs600 million allegedly given to her by Ssemakula. The woman replied that as you can see, I don’t look like shillings 600 million. This meeting was attended by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit. In fact, the woman said they only create agreement for him (Ssemakula). That’s how that meeting ended. But, he (Ssemakula) is untouchable. Files are called as soon as he is arrested. They hire goons from other areas and ferry them to an area of target so they look like concerned neighbors yet in a targeted piece of land. They use compromised local leaders, senior police officers, big government officials in lands and the media. They offer a 50 x 100 measurement to anyone they see as being a stumbling block in their fight. They don’t have authoritative claims. They can claim 10 acres of land and in an agreement, he agrees to take 2 acres. Who does that? In Kitwe-Kifumba, he claimed ownership of 17 acres but in a settlement, he took 4. He is just a land grabber. Those people he uses are cheated and the unsuspecting buyer is conned. That’s the impact. People are losing money,” a source narrated, revealing the source of Mr. Mukiibi’s troubles.

With this sort of dealings, there is a worry following Kamya’s meeting with Nabitosi, Ssemakula’s ally.