Auditor General unearths eight plots illegally curved from Bukalasa Agricultural College land

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Auditor General has unearthed eight plots that were allegedly curved out of the land belonging Bukalasa Agricultural College raising fears of encroachment. Bukalasa Agricultural College owns 299.9 acres on land that occupies Block 146, Plot 68 Bulemezi and another land measuring 98 acres on Block 146, Plot 367.

The land formerly belonged to Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute, which acted as an experiment Centre. It was abandoned in the late 1970’s before government allocated it to Bukalasa Agricultural College. However, the Auditor General notes that since then plots 359,360,361,362,363,364, 368 and 366 have been created without any formal authorization and in complete disregard of the existing land titles.

The plots were discovered during the field verification of the school land by the Office of the Auditor General. In his 2018/19 financial year audit report, the Auditor General, John Muwanga explains that further subdivision of Bukalasa Agricultural College land without its knowledge may hamper the college administration when it comes to practical lessons and demonstrations that require adequate land.

He also noted that the College land title measuring 98 acres is also untraceable. He advises the Accounting officer together with the College Principal to follow up the matter with the District Land Board and Uganda Land commission with a view of reclaiming the land and acquiring new titles. The Principal Bukalasa Agricultural College, Gelvan Kisolo Lule confirmed to URN that some plots were curved out to host staff from the Lands, Works and Trade ministries among others.

He however noted that they have since appealed to the Commissioner Surveys and Mapping in Lands Ministry who cancelled all the plots and the houses built on them are now under the college. Kisolo says they are yet to secure titles for 98 acres and 299.9 acres of land so as to protect the College from encroachers.

Bukalasa Agricultural College hosts 1500 students. Recently, World Bank promoted Bukalasa Agricultural College to an Agriculture Centre of Excellence and extended 11 a grant of Shillings billion. The grant is expected to enable the college construct new farm, houses, renovation of classrooms, fund electricity and water systems among others.

However, there are fears that the land encroachment may affect the expansion works. In 2017, Bukalasa Agricultural College bowed to pressure and gave away two acres of land for the construction of Ministry of Lands zonal offices. The zonal lands offices, whose construction was completed, are part of the project of computerizing Uganda’s land registry, which aims at minimizing land-related conflicts in the country, forgery of land titles and red-tape in searching for land information.

Students protested the land give away, saying it will affect their education and practical lessons in vain. In 2012, Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF also claimed ownership of 98 acres of land belonging to Bukalasa Agricultural College. UPDF claimed then, that the Uganda Land Commission had allocated them the land for construction of a National Army Referral Hospital. Students and administrators protested against the claim forcing the army to withdraw quietly.

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