The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen. Henry Tumukunde, has ordered the immediate eviction of people accused of encroaching on government land belonging to rehabilitation centres, warning that officials found involved in the alleged land grabbing risk losing their jobs.
Tumukunde issued the directive during a three-day Ministry retreat at Jinja Resort Hotel, where senior administrative and technical officials are reviewing the Ministry’s performance, budget priorities and strategies to improve service delivery and visibility.
The directive followed concerns raised by the State Minister for Disability Affairs, Joyce Acan Okeny, over alleged widespread land grabbing and encroachment on property belonging to rehabilitation centres across the country.
Tumukunde directed the Acting Permanent Secretary, Alex Asiimwe, to mobilise funds immediately to fence vulnerable Ministry land, starting with the Lweza Rehabilitation Centre.
He also instructed Acan to formally notify all those accused of encroaching on the Lweza land of the Ministry’s intention to evict them.
“Let them come to me. I will know how to handle them. I want to see who they are and what they think they can do to me,” Tumukunde said.
The Minister warned people occupying rehabilitation centre land in Lweza, Ocoko in Arua, Rukungiri and Lira to vacate, saying the government would recover land reserved for vulnerable Ugandans.
“Anyone illegally occupying rehabilitation centre land will be evicted without further notice. They should prepare to leave now before they are forcibly removed. This land belongs to vulnerable Ugandans and we shall recover every inch of it,” he said.
Acan said the alleged encroachment had deprived rehabilitation centres of land needed for vocational training, accommodation and the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
She cited Lweza, where permanent structures have allegedly been erected on land belonging to the rehabilitation centre. In Rukungiri and Ocoko in Arua, she said, boundaries had reportedly been altered and sections of the land fenced off by neighbouring property owners.
Acan also raised concerns about the alleged manipulation of land records in Lira, where she said some council land had been deliberately under-declared.
According to Acan, one piece of land measuring more than 60 acres was recorded as 30 acres, while another measuring approximately 100 acres was allegedly recorded as 50 acres.
“This land was reserved to restore dignity for persons with disabilities. Losing it means denying vulnerable Ugandans their only chance at independent living,” Acan said.
Tumukunde also warned Ministry staff and other government officials against colluding with individuals to acquire the land illegally.
He said any official found to have participated in the alleged land grabbing would face severe disciplinary action, including dismissal.
“Should we find any Ministry or government official involved at any stage, they will lose their jobs without mercy. We can’t tolerate in-house corruption of that stature. I’m already getting disturbing rumours about Council lands in Lira and Rukungiri,” he said.
Tumukunde added that his tenure at the Ministry would be judged by results, warning staff against underperformance and working in isolation.
“We MUST do our duties diligently and impactfully. I will not sit and watch some staff underperform or do things their own way,” he said.
The retreat is expected to help the Ministry assess its performance, identify gaps in service delivery, agree on budget priorities and develop strategies to improve its visibility and impact across the country.
