In a developing land dispute, the National Forestry Authority (NFA) is investigating Major General (retired) Elly Kayanja over alleged encroachment on the Mujuzi Central Forest Reserve in Masaka District.
The NFA, now operating under the Ministry of Water and Environment, claims that Gen. Kayanja obtained a 49-year leasehold title encompassing parts of the forest reserve near Ddimu Landing Site in Kyesiiga Sub-county. The contested land spans 28.33 hectares, identified as Plot 24, Block 783 at Ddimu, Kyanamukakka.
Robert Mubokhisa, acting NFA manager for the Sango Bay range, emphasized the protected status of the 4,000-hectare Mujuzi Central Forest, gazetted in 1932. “We don’t allow illegal activities in such areas, and it is our mandate to stop anyone plotting to set up anything there,” he stated. On December 27, NFA officials apprehended individuals erecting a fence within the reserve; the suspects were subsequently handed over to Kyesiiga Police Post.
Gen. Kayanja acknowledged holding a leasehold title for land at Ddimu, asserting its legitimate acquisition through the village land committee. He expressed willingness to ensure community access to public facilities, stating, “If my workers put a fence around a public toilet, I am going to tell them to leave it accessible to the community.”
This incident adds to a series of land disputes involving high-ranking officials in Uganda, highlighting ongoing tensions between development interests and environmental conservation efforts.
