The embattled Kisoro District Chairman, Abel Bizimana, is facing potential censure by councilors who accuse him of selling district land to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for 200 million shillings.
The land in question is located along the Kabale-Bunagana road, opposite the central police station, and is currently occupied by UWA offices.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding set to be signed between UWA and the Kisoro District Council, the Kisoro District Council, under Minute Number 08/DLC/2019, offered the land to UWA for the construction of a modern tourism information center.
The controversy emerged when the Chief Administrative Officer, John Nyakahuma, informed the council that the District Lands Board had offered the contested land to UWA on a free leasehold basis. Nyakahuma noted that granting land on a free leasehold basis could have long-term effects, including a lack of flexibility and adaptability, the risk of leasehold disputes, and the potential loss of the land permanently, as the government agency shows interest in it.
Councilors Kazimil Wilson, representing Chahi Sub-county, Agaba James, representing Southern Division, and Juliet Kamusiime, representing Nyanamo Town Council, opposed the information, insisting that the land was sold by the Kisoro District Chairman in collaboration with his executive committee for 200 million shillings. They also accused Bizimana of being consistently involved in public land scandals, such as bribery, mismanagement, and at times, selling the land to different individuals and organizations.
The councilors accused Bizimana of incompetence, corruption, and involvement in public fraud scandals, and called for his immediate censure as the Resident District Commissioner, Hajji Badru Sebyalla, takes office and leads the investigation into the misuse of public lands in Kisoro District.
However, Bizimana dismissed the allegations, accusing some councilors of attempting to sell the land themselves and stating that UWA had been an obstacle to their plans. He also rejected the censure proposal, stating that he would have already left office by the time the proposal was approved by the responsible authorities.
