Mixed reactions and debates have soaked the Uganda’s August House following the Internal Affairs Minister, Maj Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, who reportedly grabbed the Government’s Njeru Stock farm in Buikwe district.
Otafiire in 2019 shocked the 10th Parliament when he presented documents claiming that the land housing the farm did not belong to the government but was a private mailo he obtained under a willing buyer-willing seller mode of payment.
He said that the government was wrongly superimposed on his land.
In a recent revelation, Otafiire last week purportedly ordered for the arrest of, Dr Carol Wabule, the Njeru Stock Farm Manager, on charges of criminal trespass which the deputy speaker of Parliament, Tomath Tayebwa instructed for her immediate release.
The distressing Otafiire’s orders prompted debates in Parliament where a matter of national importance was raised by Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, complaining about the conduct of a minister whom he said is dutifully expected to guard the farm.
“Can the government tell us whether the level of degeneration has reached this far, that a minister can go and take over a government farm and arrest a farm manager and say this one I have bought it,” Ssemujju asked.
The plenary sitting, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, on Thursday, 25 January 2024 was filled up with Otafiire’s discussions where the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, condemned the minister’s conduct which he says he (Otafiire) denied citizens critical services offered by the farm.
“There are positions that require a certain level of dignity with discipline. This is unacceptable for the minister; to grab this farm is to deprive ordinary folks of service delivery,” said Ssenyonyi.
Njeru farm houses the only livestock breeding plant for the entire eastern region and the only liquid nitrogen plant that serves all hospitals in the eastern region.
According to reports, the 10th Parliament through the Parliamentary committee on Agriculture extensively investigated the case and made recommendations.
In the recommendations, the government was told to get its farm, and if Gen. Otafiire had any legal claims he could be compensated, which the Tororo woman legislator, Hon. Sarah Opendi, asked Parliament to revise and consider the recommendations.
The Minister for Public Service, Hon. Wilson Muruli Mukasa, advised that Parliament accords Otafiire an opportunity to make a statement of personal explanation.
In his ruling, the Deputy speaker tasked the prime minister and leader of government business, Robinah Nabanja to take charge and report back to Parliament in two weeks.
The said farm is not only known for farmers to seek livestock knowledge but also school going students use it to carryout fieldwork studies as a mandatory outreach especially to candidates.
