President Museveni has called a meeting with the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya and Uganda Lands Commission (ULC) boss, Beatrice Nyakaisiki, in a bid to resolve a standoff between the two.
This is after Ms Nyakaisiki was in November last year interdicted by Kamya over corruption related cases.
In a letter dated October 15, President Museveni said he would like to meet both IGG and Ms Nyakaisiki to over the matter.
“I have received your letter of September 19, 2022, informing me of the battles with your sister, the Inspector General of Government Betty Kamya. By copy of this letter, I direct my lawyer Flora Kiconco, to interact with you and Hon. Beti Kamya and, informally, give me a legal opinion. Thereafter, I would like to meet both of you and discuss this letter war,” Mr Museveni’s letter reads in part.
Ms Nyakaisiki and the ULC secretary, Ms Barbarah Imaryo, are being prosecuted in the Anti-Corruption Court over fraud.
Imaryo was interdicted by Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba to pave way for investigations into allegations of mismanagement of funds under the Land Fund following the directive of the Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya issued on 1st December, 2021.
This followed a report by the Auditor General that among other things indicated that ULC did not have a land inventory and database for all government land and properties under its jurisdiction and that there was payment of 10.6 billion shillings to some claimants without the authorization of the Commission among other irregularities.
“You are therefore, directed/ordered, as the Supervising Minister, to interdict or cause the Interdiction of Ms Barbarah Imaryo from her duties as Secretary of Uganda Land Commission with immediate effect,” read the letter that Nabakooba acted on to make her December 7th 2021 decision.
Nabakooba consequently directed that she should stay away from office and reinstated a one Daniel Mugulusi as the Accounting Officer of the Uganda Land Commission with orders that her directive was to remain like that unless the President of Uganda advises otherwise.
However, being dissatisfied with the Minister’s decision, Imaryo petitioned the Civil Division of the High Court challenging it on grounds that Nabakooba had no jurisdiction to order her out of office and stop her from transacting any office business on behalf of the Uganda Land Commission.
In August, High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana agreed with Imaryo and quashed her interdiction saying it was illegal. According to Ssekaana, both the IGG and Minister of Lands had no powers to interdict and terminate Imaryo’s services from the Commission.
“In the present case, the applicant is challenging the decision of the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to interdict her because she is not vested with such power. Her actions were indeed illegal and contrary to the constitutional and other laws governing the appointment of the applicant,” said Ssekaana.
Quoting Section 24 of the Interpretation Act, Ssekaana said the power conferred to the appointing authority is the same person with powers to remove, suspend, reappoint and reinstate any person appointed inline with those powers.
