Mbarara District Local Government has asked police to investigate its Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), David Muhwezi, over the controversial allocation of district land to several government and private institutions.
The move follows a resolution by the District Public Accounts Committee (DPAC), which this week questioned the legality of land allocations made during the 2024/25 financial year.
Appearing before the committee at Kamukuzi Council Hall, Mr Muhwezi was accused of overseeing the allocation of district land to nine institutions without following the required procedures.
The institutions cited include the Uganda Management Institute, Makerere University Business School, Megger Technical Services, Kampala International University, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Mbarara Regional Analytical Laboratory, the Office of the Solicitor General, Police Barracks, the Inspector General of Government, and Education Standards.
DPAC chairperson Herbert Kamugisha said the committee’s findings were based on internal audit queries which raised concerns over how the land was allocated.
“We have made a resolution here that the CAO be handed over to police and record a statement on why he gave out Mbarara district land without following the right procedures. He has a case to answer. Local governments have no mandate to give out public land; only the Uganda Land Commission and Parliament have that authority,” Mr Kamugisha said on Wednesday.
He added that the committee was unable to trace documentation or files showing how the land allocations were processed and approved.
In his defence, Mr Muhwezi told the committee that the allocations were made following formal requests from the beneficiary institutions and with guidance from the relevant authorities.
“We made those land allocations with guidance from the Uganda Lands Commission. There was nothing wrong I did in these allocation processes,” he said.
However, the committee said it was not satisfied with the explanation and directed that the CAO record a statement with police to facilitate investigations.
Rwizi Region Police spokesperson Samson Kasasira confirmed that police had received the matter.
“It is true the CAO was handed over to us and we are helping them carry out further investigations into the accusations,” Mr Kasasira said.
The committee also demanded a comprehensive valuation report for all government land located on Kamukuzi Hill in Mbarara City.
Mr Kamugisha expressed concern that some district land had allegedly been leased at rates as low as Shs30 million per acre, raising questions about whether the district was obtaining fair value from its assets.
The investigations are expected to establish whether the allocations complied with public land management laws and whether any public assets were improperly disposed of.