Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has heard that government analytical laboratory obtained a land title without any acreage.
This revelation was made today by the Director of the Government Analytical Laboratory, Kepher Kuchana to PAC as he tabled the title without acreage.
PAC today probed the authenticity of land title on which the headquarters of the directorate of analytical laboratory sit on in Wandegeya.
Acreage is one of the basics that are indicated on a land title after surveillance. It shows the size of land that is being titled.
MPs sitting on PAC were left in shock when a land title without acreage was presented with some including committee Vice Chairperson Gerald Karuhanga and Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuuga describing it as fake.
On Tuesday, the team from the analytical laboratory led by Kuchana had been asked by PAC to return today and explain issues related to entity’s land title. In his 2015 audit report, Auditor
General, John Muwanga noted that the entity was not in possession of its land title.
While appearing before the committee this afternoon, Kuchana presented a land title but further scrutiny by the committee unearthed loopholes in the land title.
Gerald Karuhanga, the Vice Chairperson PAC revealed that the land title presented didn’t bear the acreage of the land where the laboratories are sitting.
“The land title has no acreage, you may look through it to see if its forgery or created at night.” said Karuhanga.
In his defense, Kuchana said the land title was acquired in 1962 hence a reason for it not to bear details on the acreage.
Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga cited a possibility of forgery by officials of the government analytical laboratory to get off the hook with the audit query. He accused Kuchana for peddling a forged land title which cannot be submitted anywhere.
Steven Kagoda, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs admitted that the land title submitted was a mistake saying that it was not forged but a document availed by the Secretary Uganda Land Commission in response to efforts by the analytical laboratory to have its land title.
Jessica Ababiku, the Adjumani Woman legislator couldn’t have any of the entity’s excuses accusing PS Kagoda of not being in charge.MP Karuhanga wondered why PS Kagoda who has been at the helm of leadership of Internal Affairs Ministry for over 12 years could receive a crucial document and just keep it simply because he is excited.
PAC members threw out the land title ordering the entity to produce a valid land title to Parliament.
