Baker Mugaino, who heads the land registration department at the ministry of lands is currently the happiest man after overcoming intense opposition from his superiors to finally be promoted to a full commissioner by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Mugaino, whose had stance on things at the ministry has often set him on a collision course with his superiors, including ministers, Judith Nabakooba and Sam Mayanja has had his promotion delayed by what insiders suggest was an internal rope pulling by bosses who resent the man from Busoga.
” Its a surprising that he has finally pulled it off. It appeared right from the start that he would get frustrated and end up leaving like many others. But that man is a fighter,” an inside source told The Ankole Times, preferring to remain anonymous.
Baker, who has been an Assistant Commissioner at the ministry has over the years earned rave reviews from the public due to his selfless conduct in executing his duties at the the highly sensitive and tempting lands registration department t at the ministry of lands.
This, however, has reportedly earned him intense rivalries who seem to view him as a populist who defies orders from his boss.
According to our sources, ministry permanent Secretary, Docus Okaranyi eventually turned into a bitter rival, frustrating his every bit of life at the ministry. For instance, whereas all heads of departments are allowed to sign on official documents, Mugaino was exclusively ordered to submit everything from his land registration department to her to append signatures. Unfortunately, however, Okaranyi only appears in office once in a wail due to her frail health in recent years.
” This is intended to make Mugaino appear incompetent by the public who in turn get to think the official is sleeping on the job,” adds our source.
There was a also an alleged plot to frustrate Land Registration by deliberately understaffing it not until Mugaino loudly banged tables for everyone to hear until Public Service equipped the department with more staff which ultimately enhanced efficiency. There has, however, of late been a devide and rule plot where some employees under Mugaino’s department are encouraged to rebel.
On Principal, Muagaino has also clashed with the ministers supervising him in the spirit of doing what’s right regardless of who is against it. Forinstance, he has often clashed with Minister Sam Mayanja over what many see as unconventional ways of handling matters between landlords and Bibanja owners which has cost the government hundreds of billions in legal compensations.
A few months ago, following Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s visit to the kingdom Kaazi land, Mayanja openly criticized Mugaino, thereby directing him to be probed by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit. Shockingly, the Land Registration boss came out vindicated as always.
Mugaino’s elevation comes as a big surprise to many especially at the lands ministry where career growth internally has been close to impossible in recent years. Last year, the ministry came into intense scrutiny when there couldn’t be any person to fill gaps advertised internally that suitable candidates were outsourced from other ministries. This generated a debate on the efficiency of Ms. Okaranyi after failing to build capacity at the ministry she has led for almost fifteen years.
