The Nakawa-Naguru has been embroiled in controversy since 2007 when it was parcelled out to an investor Opec Prime Properties to construct a satellite city. The developer was unable to develop the land and it was repossessed by government which has gone ahead to re-allocate it to several investors through the Uganda Land Commission.
A false story has however been making rounds in sections of the media indicating that tycoons Sudhir Ruparelia and Ephrahim Ntaganda allegedly worked with ministry of lands officials and got a substitute title for the land after Opec Prime Properties failed to develop it.
According to Bukedde newspaper, Lands Minister Sam Mayanja was quoted as saying that several tycoons have been encroaching on government land for a long time.
Documents available to Matooke Republic however indicate that land was re-allocated partly through a presidential directive and the land commission to 18 investors for different projects.
In a letter November 2, 2021 letter to President Yoweri Museveni seeking guidance on the re-allocation of the Nakawa/Naguru land, the same minister Sam Mayanja laid out the details that indicate that cabinet had taken the decision to repossess the land in 2019 and that the Uganda Land Commission has been in the process of re-allocating the land to eligible investors.
Part of the land has been parcelled out through a presidential directive to have Internal Medicine of Virginia PC allocated 15 acres and Uganda Heart Institute allocated 10 acres.
The Presidential directive to give land to Internal Medicine of Virigina PC was made on 20th October 2019 when Museveni wrote to then Lands Housing and Urban Development Minister Betty Amongi.
“Sometime back I met our Ugandans of Arab origin who used to own Bismillahi Restaurant in Mbarara in the 1960s. Their children are specialised medical doctors who run several medical facilities in America. I convinced them to come to Uganda and establish a specialised hospital and nursing home, which they agreed to. They requested for part of the Nakawa-Naguru land to set up the facility,” Museveni wrote.
“Given the urgent need to stop medical tourism and enable access to affordable specialised treatment by Ugandans, I hereby, direct that you allocate 15 acres of the said land to Internal Medicine of Virginia P.C,” he directed.
There are institutions already on the land including Nakawa Division Offices, Naguru Infant Primary School, St. Peters Church of Uganda and Multi Consults Ltd among others that are catered for in the re-allocation.
In Mayanja’s letter to Museveni dated November 2, 2021, where he sought guidance on the Naguru land issue, he clearly stated that 18 companies had been allocated land by the Uganda Land Commission.
Earlier in March 2021, then State Minister or Urban Development Isaac Isanga Musumba had written to the Chairperson of the Uganda Land Commision indicating criteria for eligibility for investors to be allocated Nakawa/Naguru land.
“Consistent with the aspirations for an orderly, modern and well developed satellite city, which will set pace for modernising Kampala and signalling direction Kampala should take in its further development. Also intended to avoid slumasation,” he wrote.
“Please take further note that the highlights of the Physical Plan is that there should be no plots of land size less than 2 acres and the building should be less than three floors for residential houses and six floors for commercial buildings.”
“The plan must have provision for intra road network, infrastructure corridors for water, drainage, sewer lines, broad band internet and electricity, as well as green public spaces. Anything contrary to these specifics shall not be approved fir physical development in that area.”
In Mayanja’s letter seeking final approval from Museveni, companies had been allocated land as follows;
| S/NO | NAME OF APPLICANT | ACREAGE | PROPOSED USE | AMOUNT TO BE INVESTED |
| 1. | National Library | 2 | Libary | Not indicated |
| 2. | Anil Damani | 3 | High Rise Apartments Complex | USD. 3,445,000 |
| 3. | Arab Oil Supplies and Exploration Limited | 3 | High Rise Apartments Complex | USD. 13,500,000 |
| 4. | Dashen (U) Limited | 4 | High Rise Apartments | USD. 11,362,305 |
| 5. | Dembe Enterpruse Limited | 4 | Hotel with Commercial Retail Shops | USD. 30,576,552 |
| 6. | Dominion Partners Limited | 2 | Mixed Use (Residential and Commercial) | USD. 47,526,528 |
| 7. | EACOM International Limited | 3 | High Rise Apartments Complex | USD. 34,194,227 |
| 8. | Fakhruddin Properties Limited | 3 | High Rise Apartments Complex | Not indicated |
| 9. | Gash Logistics Limited | 1 | Residential Apartments | USD. 22,632,000 |
| 10. | Global Paper Product Ltd | 2 | Offices and Residential Building | USD. 30,000,000 |
| 11. | Master Links Uganda Limited | 4 | High Rise Apartments | USD. 100,000 |
| 12. | Meera Investments Limited | 4 | Commercial Housing Estate | USD. 105,038,000 |
| 13. | Multi Consults Design Limited | 2 | Commercial/Residential | USD. 75,000,000 |
| 14. | Phaneroo Ministries Limited | 3 | Mixed use (Civic Commercial and Office) | USD. 55,00,000 |
| 15. | Roko Construction Company | 2 | Not indicated | Not indicated |
| 16. | Rudra Hardware | 4 | High Rise Apartments | USD. 6,587,527.71 |
| 17. | Seven Hills Apartments Limited | 3 | Commercial retail including a shoppingmall | USD. 15,000,000 |
| 18. | Wash & Wills Country Home Limited | 1 | Boutique Hotel and condominium Apartment | USD. 30,000,000 |
| TOTAL | 50 | USD.578,240,000 |
25 acres of the land were allocated due to presidential directives with 5.05 acres being institutional land, two acres to Ntinda wholesalers and 50 acres allocated to private individuals and companies.
It was noted following a ministerial visit that those who had erected structures on the land be compensated on humanitarian grounds because the size of their structures and their plans are not compatible with the planned ultra-modern Satellite city.
In the letter, Mayanja asks Museveni for the green light to conclude the allocation process.
