BIG STORY
Untouchable Land Baron Remanded Over Theft of 500 Acres of Government Land
By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has finally arrested and arraigned a renowned tycoon and land baron in Western Uganda for forging documents to steal government land measuring 500 acres.
Kahwa Francis, a top business elite severally accused of undeservedly benefitting from illegal land acquisition in the Albertine region of Uganda was produced to court on Friday, 16th August 2024.
According to a statement by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Kahwa charged at Magistrates Court, Buliisa district on charges of forgery & uttering false documents, making false declarations to various government entities in a bid to grab prime public land measuring 500 acres in Butiaba.
Kahwa was the sent on remand after the charges were read to him until 20th August, 2024.
“Further investigations are ongoing into similar allegations in relation to how he acquired the huge chunks of land in Bunyoro region,” says State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
Court was packed with victims of his actions most of whom thought he will never face the law.
The land in question is inhabited by the Alur’s people estimated to be numbering about 10,000 families who have since been living in different fishing villages on Lake Albert in Uganda.
The land grabbing started in 2011 when Kahwa claimed he bought this chunk of land from government in Waaki and Runga Villages in Kirogobya Sub County, Buliisa District.
He has severally been accused of using State House connections to grab land and a section of UPDF soldiers.
For instance, Kahwa is believed to have used Butiaba sub-county Internal Security and Butiaba barracks military men to torture harass and violate the human rights of local people in the sub-county of Kigorobya.
The Butiaba GISO several times arrested farmers in Waaki and Runga villages and taken them to Hoima Central Police and no judgments have been passed against the victims.