By Dean Lubowa Saava
A plot by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and the Minister for Lands to oust Commissioner of Lands Baker Mugaino has apparently succeeded, according to insiders within the ministry. Sources close to the ministry reveal that the team behind Mugaino’s removal is, in fact, working against the blockchain technology that Mugaino introduced.
Mugaino’s initiative aimed to eliminate land fraud and double titling in the land system. Insiders claim that the ministry’s top leadership views Mugaino as a threat due to his blockchain project, which the President and Cabinet have endorsed as a solution to Uganda’s land problems.
The source disclosed to TV10 Gano Mazima that the rivalry within the Ministry of Lands has escalated, pointing to past tensions following the death of Johnson Kagolo, the ICT expert who had worked on the Land National Information System. Some alleged that Permanent Secretary Dorcus Okalany was involved in Kagolo’s demise, though this has not been verified.
Insiders reveal that the ministry, under Okalany’s leadership, has been spending approximately 5.7 billion shillings annually on software for the land register, a system that has been plagued by double titling issues. Mugaino’s efforts to cancel fake land titles have been met with resistance from land mafias, who see his initiatives as a threat to their interests.
The source added that Mugaino’s cancellation of 1,500 titles in Mukono and pending cancellations of 25,000 titles in Kampala have further antagonized the land mafias. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold and what implications it may have for land management in Uganda.
Stay tuned for more of the Mafias Eating Land Ministry Softly….
