In Greater Masaka, the Anti-Corruption Unit, working with Uganda Police, arrested Zziwa Colbert Tamale, a Senior Land Officer at the Masaka Ministry Zonal Office.
The Anti-Corruption Unit alleges that Zziwa was involved in the issuance of more than 265 illegal land titles in Greater Masaka, including titles affecting Central Forest Reserve land and privately owned property.
Among the allegations is that Zziwa and other officials were involved in the creation of a fraudulent title on land belonging to former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi in Kyanamukaaka, Masaka.
According to the Anti-Corruption Unit, the land, originally measuring 83 acres, was allegedly reduced to 34 acres before being subdivided into several plots.
Zziwa is also accused of involvement in the Ssembabule land-titling scheme in which hundreds of residents were allegedly asked to pay money under the false pretence that the payments were required to facilitate the issuance of government land titles.
The Anti-Corruption Unit said Zziwa will be taken to court once investigations are completed. Possible charges include abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, conspiracy to commit a felony and forgery.
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development has in recent months intensified efforts to clean up the land registry following concerns over illegally issued titles.
In April, the ministry cancelled at least 156 land titles found to have been issued within gazetted forest reserves in Mukono, Wakiso, Mpigi and Masindi districts. The ministry said such titles were null and void because forest reserves are held in public trust and cannot lawfully be allocated for private ownership.
The ministry has also said it intends to use technologies including artificial intelligence and blockchain to strengthen land registration and prevent manipulation of the land registry.
The latest arrests and prosecution add to the government’s broader anti-corruption drive, with officials warning that public servants involved in soliciting money from citizens or manipulating government systems will face criminal prosecution.
Both Kananura and Zziwa are accused persons and remain entitled to the presumption of innocence until the respective cases are determined by court.
