CAO testifies against ex-Ibanda officials in forest reserve case

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The chief administrative officer of the Ibanda district local government has told the court that district officials flouted the procurement process about the exchange of the Ibanda Forest Reserve with another piece of land.

Ruhemba Kweyamba on Thursday informed the Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, that the district officials failed to adhere to the procurement process as they ought to have done.

Kweyamba was testifying in a case involving the Ibanda's former CAO Matsiko Mutungwire and natural resource officer Tom Nuwagira, who are facing charges of abuse of office.

The charges relate to an exchange of the Ibanda Forest Reserve with a private piece of land belonging to the Rukokoma Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative Society.

"The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) procedures were not followed because upon checking the file, it was evident that the procurement unit was not aware of this transaction," Kweyamba told the court.

"Furthermore, upon contacting the head of procurement at Mbarara, I was informed the procedures were not adhered to."

Testifying as the seventh witness, Kweyamba stated that there was no contract committee in place and that there was non-compliance with the law. 

He further highlighted that there was a protest from the community in Ibanda due to the exchange of the forest for another piece of land.

Kweyamba said that due to the irregularities, the government incurred significant expenses in defending civil suits in court.

"The government incurred losses in hiring lawyers to defend the case in court and in facilitating staff to prepare and defend the district," he said.

"Additionally, up to now, the government has to pay 1.5% of the sh120 million to the Rukokoma Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative Society."

Prosecution’s case

The prosecution team claims that Mutungwire and Nuwagira, while employed as Ibanda CAO and natural resource officer, respectively, abused their positions. 

They are accused of irregularly entering into a memorandum of understanding with the Rukokoma Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative Society, exchanging part of the Ibanda Forest Reserve for alternative land.

The prosecution team, led by Safina Bireke and Gertrude Apio from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, purports that the accused agreed to give away 10 hectares of the forest reserve land in exchange for 50 hectares of land from Rukokoma Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative Society.