Some of tenants on URC land in Nsambya who face eviction after the land was given to companies and individuals. PHOTO BY F. KASIRYE.

The controversy surrounding government’s decision to allocate part of the land belonging to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) to private individuals and companies, yesterday took a new twist with some of the intended beneficiaries saying they had no knowledge that the land had been allocated to them.
Among the beneficiaries according to an October 2010 Cabinet memo, is the National Library, which supposedly received two acres, but yesterday its director, Ms Gertrude Kayaga, said the institution was not aware of such an allocation.

In a memo to this newspaper, Ms Kayaga said she is not aware of the said allocation, raising more questions about the identity of the real owners of the plots.
“While, I am not aware as head of this institution that the National Library has been allocated land there, I also would like to bring to your attention that the National Library of Uganda is neither a private enterprise nor an individual,” she says.
A total of 57.9 acres of land in Nsambya belonging to URC but now allocated to different local private developers, is at the centre of investigation by the parliamentary Committee on Commissions, State Authorities and Statutory Enterprises, following a petition from the Nsambya tenants, who currently face eviction by the developers.
The government allocated part of the URC land to the private investors last  year in exchange for land that was erroneously allocated to them by Uganda Lands Commission in Naguru-Nakawa estates. The land in Naguru-Nakawa estates had already been allocated to a UK-based company, OpecPrime Properties.
The companies included House of Dawda (10 acres), CTM Uganda Ltd (six acres) and Islamic University of Uganda (10 acres) among others.
The committee also wants to find out if proper procurement procedures were followed while allocating the land.
snaturinda@ug.nationmedia.com