Moroto, Uganda – The Lands Office in Moroto District has come under scrutiny from anti-corruption monitors over alleged fraud in land transactions.
The monitors are demanding investigations, arrests, and the interdiction of the district land board officials, accusing them of corruption.
The demand follows ongoing tensions between the locals of Naut Village in Tapac Sub-County, Moroto District, and a purported investor named Granite General Contractors Ltd. over land.
According to the monitors, Mr. Joseph Onyait, the purported investor, allegedly colluded with some officials at the district lands office and a few sub-county area land chairpersons of Tapac Sub-County to sell land measuring 12.2 and 14 hectares at a cost of 100 million shillings.
The sold land sits on a large mineral rock that the community has been surviving on.
In response to the demand from the anti-corruption monitors, the District Security Committee called an emergency meeting on 20th January 2025 to discuss the request from the anti-corruption members.
During the meeting, it was confirmed that the land was acquired fraudulently by the purported investor. It was noted that the sub-county area land committee did not convene to facilitate the process; instead, the chairperson took charge, and the recorder failed to carry out their mandate of recording, which is also irregular.
The District Land Board also failed to constitute itself to consider the land request. Instead, the process was handled by the secretary of the land board and one of the board members, which is considered irregular. The recommendation for acquiring the freehold title was forwarded without proper procedures.
Mr. David Koryang, the LC5 chairperson of Moroto District, said that the purported investor has since secured a land title after paying 50 million shillings out of the total cost of 100 million shillings.
Koryang noted that the investor only dealt with the area land chairperson and the district land officer without the consent of other stakeholders, including the community members.
“We are concerned about the manner in which the district lands officers of Moroto are conducting themselves,” he said.
Mr. Koryang also pointed out that they have since discovered that there were two land sales, contrary to what the community was told to sign. He said that the first land measured 12.2 hectares and 14 hectares, totaling 64.9 acres.
Koryang revealed that all the land was titled, leaving the community questioning how the investor acquired the land.
The district boss further noted that they were shocked to learn that the investor had paid 250 million shillings for the land, not the 100 million reported by the land officer.
“This land officer of Moroto only disclosed to the community 100 million shillings and concealed 150 million shillings. The land officer also disclosed 14 hectares of land and excluded 12.2 hectares of the second parcel, which is concerning,” he said.
Mr. Koryang and the team have so far made progress on addressing the issue.
Ms. Stephanie Adupa, the LC5 female councilor for Tapac Sub-County, said it is also unclear whether the investor bought the land or just the mineral rock.
Apparently, the District Security Committee has written a letter to the Ministry of Lands to cancel the land title issued in the name of Granite Construction Company Limited.
Several attempts to get a comment from Mr. Joseph Onyait, the purported investor, failed as he could not be reached despite repeated calls.
