Police in Busia District have detained a CN Sugar agent following allegations of misrepresentation and fraud related to land claims by CN Sugar Limited.
Mr. Joseph Nyongeza, who is linked to the disputed land in Dabani Sub-county, was arrested after disgruntled residents stormed the Resident District Commissioner’s (RDC) office and described the land acquisition deal as a “scam.”
Police confirmed that Nyongeza is being held at Busia Central Police Station under file GEF 56/2026 to assist with ongoing investigations.
The arrest follows a formal protest by local authorities in Busia questioning the legitimacy of land documents presented by CN Sugar Limited to support its claim to approximately 16,830 acres.
In a letter dated October 4 and addressed to district and security authorities, the Office of the LC1 Chairperson for Busumba A Village, Nangwe Parish, in Dabani Sub-county, stated that Nyongeza does not own land in the area.
“The purported lease to CN Sugar Ltd is not right and has caused panic among residents who fear losing their ancestral land,” the letter, which was also copied to the RDC, police and LCIII leadership, reads in part.
The dispute follows an October field verification exercise during which CN Sugar Limited reportedly failed to present four specific parcels that had originally been submitted for inspection on October 2 and 3. Instead, company representatives reportedly presented four different properties, including an estimated 2,500-acre tract in Dabani associated with Nyongeza.
According to sources familiar with the verification exercise, the substituted properties lacked sufficient documentary evidence, including proof of title, registered leases, transfers, approved survey plans or cadastral documentation demonstrating exclusive legal interest in favour of CN Sugar Limited.
Sources also said no satisfactory evidence was provided to explain how the claimed acreage had been calculated or whether third-party, family and customary interests in the land had been resolved.
They further noted that unverified customary arrangements, in the absence of registered surveys or proof of exclusive interest, may not by themselves establish lawful leasehold ownership.
While CN Sugar Limited claims entitlement to approximately 16,830 acres, investigators reportedly established that only 170.337 acres—less than one per cent of the claimed acreage—could be verified through documentary links to the company or its associated entities.
The findings have raised questions about whether any false or misleading representations may have been made to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives and the Sugar Council regarding the availability of land for the project.
Security agencies and district leaders said investigations into allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation, forgery and land grabbing involving agents linked to CN Sugar Limited are ongoing.
The allegations have not been conclusively established, and investigations are expected to determine the authenticity of the land documents, ownership claims and representations made by the parties involved.
