National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership has come under scrutiny for their alleged involvement in defrauding the government in the Shs2.3 billion land deals meant for the expansion of the Party headquarters in Kavule, Makerere.
Ugandans biggest leaders of opposition party allegedly connived and purchased land at an excessively inflated price contrary to the existing market value.
Documents show that NUP bosses on 24th March 2023, agreed to buy a plot of land from a businessman Joseph Lwanga Nansagga, measuring about 0.08 hectares (about 0.19 acres).
The land is in Kibuga, block 28, plot 830. Nansagga is the NRM LC3 councilor for Kampala Central. He was Fred Nyanzi’s bestman at his wedding.
During the transaction, NUP paid Shs890m in cash to Nansagga for the said mailo land. The land agreement was signed by the NUP President, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine, NUP Secretary General, David Lewis Rubongoya, Party treasurer, Benjamin Katana and Fred Nyanzi Ssentamu, head of mobilization and Bobi Wine’s elder brother.
However, nine months after transaction was concluded, the NUP party applied for consent transfer from the Commissioner Lands and Surveys and in a shocking revelation, the chief government valuer assessed and valued the said land at Shs140m.
“NUP leaders accounted to Electoral Commission EC) that they had bought the land at Shs890m, but at the point of transfer, the correct value was Shs140m. So who ate the Shs750m?” a source asked.
An accountability report submitted by NUP to EC also shows that the land was valued at Shs140m, raising suspicions of inflation of cost, evasion to pay stamp duty, diversion of public funds and thus, fraud.
The report of the Auditor General shows that all the Shs890m was withdrawn from the bank and paid in cash to the land seller, thus creating a risk of misuse and theft by carrying such huge sums of money.
In a similar case, earlier in 2022, NUP purchased their first plot of land, measuring 0.3 hectares (about 0.7 acres) from the same seller Nansagga for Shs1.5 billion.
The money was paid in two instalments with the first payment of Shs1.23bn being done on 23rd March 2022. Five days later, the remaining balance of Shs270m was also paid.
This particular agreement was also signed by Bobi Wine, Rubongoya, Katana and witnessed by Nyanzi and Joel Ssenyonyi, who is now the Leader of the Opposition.
The audit report noted that there was no evidence of valuation reports by the chief government valuer to determine the fair market value of the land purchase totalling Shs2.39 billion.
There is also no evidence of land transfer 2 years after purchase.
Section 14A of the Political Parties and Organisations (Amendment) Act, 2010 provides that government funds political parties with a representation in Parliament.
The law also governs the use of government resources provided for political party activities by ensuring they give accountability to EC, the entity that finances them.
During FYs 2021/2022 to 2023/2024, government through EC released funds to NUP amounting to Shs12.6bn.
However, an audit report on the expenditures of such monies shows financial anomalies, misappropriations, doubtful & unaccounted expenditures and forged accountabilities that NUP leadership submitted to EC.
