KAMPALA: The Inspector General of Government, Ms Beti Kamya, has asked the Secretary of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), Barbarah Imaryo, to vacate office to pave way for investigations into allegations of abuse of office.
Ms Kamya directed Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, to interdict Ms Imaryo, saying that the latter’s continued stay in office will interfere with the investigations.
“Reference is made to your letter Ref: LAD 19/187/01 dated 12. October 2021 regarding the above captioned subject. Preliminary investigations in the management of Uganda Land Commission basing on the above documents provide sufficient ground for the Inspectorate of Government (IG) to continue with the investigations to their logical conclusion,” Ms Kamya wrote to the Lands minister, Ms Judith Nabakooba, on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.
“It is therefore necessary that Ms Barbarah Imaryo, the Secretary of the Uganda Land Commission steps aside so that she is not able to interfere with the investigations,” she added.
The IGG added that public interest demands that a public officer under investigation for abuse of office be interdicted from exercising powers and functions of her/his office for fear that s/he might interfere with investigations.
“The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995, Article 230 (2) and The inspectorate of Government Act Section 14 (6) provided that–The Inspector General of Government may, during the course of his or her duties or as a consequence of his or her findings, make such orders and give directions as are necessary and appropriate in the circumstances. You are therefore, directed/ordered, as the Supervising officer to cause the interdiction of Ms Imaryo with immediate effect,” she added.
This comes two weeks after Ms Kamya on November 18 asked the chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC), Ms Beatrice Byenkya, to vacate office to pave way for investigations into allegations of abuse of office.
Earlier on ULC members on October 12 said they had lost confidence in Ms Byenkya because of taking decisions without involving them.
For instance, the ULC members said Ms Byenkya wrote to the director of Bank of Uganda and the police to investigate the ULC officers, and alleged fraud in payments of the Land Fund without involving them in the discussion.
The Criminal Investigations Directorate is also investigating another set of cases of abuse of office and financial loss against ULC officials in regard to the payments of land claimants.
In October, detectives raided the ULC head offices, where they arrested senior officers and seized computers and documents.
Investigations indicate that some of the owners of the bank accounts have names different from those of the beneficiaries of compensation.
The detectives are still hunting for people who withdrew the money, which was sent to different bank accounts by the ULC officers.