Five members of a land allocation committee in Nakasongola District have been remanded to prison over allegations of fraud, violence, and illegal land dealings.
The suspects identified as Robert Kasibante, Kawa Robert, Julius Musisi, Ronald Gawera, and Vicent Semata — were on Thursday arraigned before court by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SH-ACU), working together with police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Others linked to the case are still on the run.
Prosecutors say the group conspired to illegally subdivide and allocate land in Kyarubanga Forest Reserve before it was officially degazetted.
This was allegedly done in defiance of a directive from President Yoweri Museveni.
The alleged crimes took place in Nakasongola District, within Kyarubanga Forest Reserve.
The suspects appeared in court and were remanded until April 14, 2026.
Investigations indicate that the accused forcefully took over land from lawful occupants and redistributed it to themselves and other individuals, including people from outside the district. In some cases, they reportedly used violence, leading to assaults and destruction of property.
The group is also accused of collecting money from members of the public, promising them land allocations that were never delivered.
The arrests followed a directive from the President ordering investigations into alleged corruption and irregularities within the land allocation committee. The State House Anti-Corruption Unit then launched a probe that led to the charges.
The accused have been charged with conspiracy to defraud, assault causing grievous harm, malicious damage to property, and unlawful confinement. They remain in custody as investigations continue, with more arrests expected.
