The State House of Uganda has cautioned the general public against fraudsters who are using forged letters purportedly signed by its Senior Staff to grab and distribute forest land in Mayuge district.
In the first letter issued on 27th September, 2021, the fraudsters used the name of Lt Gen. (Rtd) Proscovia Nalweyiso, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security Affairs.
Addressed to the LC5 Chairperson, the land grabbers partly stated that, ” H.E the President is surprised and concerned with the content of the complaint raised Idi Mwadha, the Executive Chairman of the Displaced families for failure of implementation of the directive on the allocated land in Malongo sub county, Mayuge district in respect to the forementioned concerned.”
“The President has therefore directed that you back off and let pillars..exercise take place for resettlement of the affected families,. Following the seriousness of the matter, the Chief Administrative Officer, the RDC, DISO and DPC of Mayuge are advised to ensure the development is urgently effectively done,” the letter further read.
In the second forged letter dated 9 November, 2022 and purportedly issued by the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Dr. Kenneth Omona, the fraudsters told the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands that the Third Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Lukia Nakadama and Bunya South Legislator Idi Isabirye had written to the Under-secretary of the Ministry of Lands to cancel titles of the land in question on claim that they were issued prematurely.
“H.E the President has directed to officially inform you that he has overtime been following up the matter in respect to the Presidential Directive to the Ministry of Water and Environment dated 4th of February, 2011 for allocation of the above land to the displaced families of Malongo sub county in Mayuge district,” the letter reads in parts.
“H.E the President confirms earlier directive to the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Lands to issue land titles to the same land as a technical process thus leading to the degazzetment of the land by Parliament of Uganda to make it available to help the displaced families to get resettled back in their land.”
However according to the Presidential Press Unit (PPU), the two senior State House staff are not in anyway involved in the land matter and they have never issued such letters.
“The public is advised that anyone coming in possession of such letters should always contact their Resident District and City Commissioners who will be required to verify their authenticity with the State House,” PPU said in a statement dated 15th November, 2022.
“Nonetheless, it should be stated that whoever is in custody of these letters and acquired land must know that they were cheated of their money and should open cases against these thieves,” the Unit added.
PPU also called upon the general public to inform the police or contact the State House Administration in case they have any information about the authors of the fake letters soiling the image of the officials and State House as a whole.
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