Minister Vincent Ssempijja in trouble over 15 stolen bulls
State Minister for Agriculture Hon. Bright Rwamirama has warned Mengo’s Head of Mamba Clan, Kakoboza and other land grabbers to get off National Animals Genetic Resource Center( NAGRC) in Entebbe or face forceful evictions.
Rwamirama was on Wednesday visiting the NAGRC head offices in Entebbe where he met the new board of directors headed by Johnson Nkuhe.
Speaking to the minister , NAGRC leaders reported a lot of challenges which included land grabbing, death threats and failure of outgoing leaders to hand over cars and houses which are government properties. Among the top land grabbers named was a Mengo- based and Head Mamba Clan, a one Kakoboza.
Kakooza allegedly claims over 50 acres from NAGRIC land. The minister, however, asked the leadership to use all the available means to chase away land grabbers. The minister also assured them that he was going to bring back sanity in NAGRIC.
He explained that those who are busy occupying government land will be evicted immediately and he will make sure all government officials involved are punished. Entebbe farm has an African Regional Gene Bank with highly productive breeds of cows, pigs and chicken plus goats. It was established in 1960 as a breeding center and later named Animal Genetic Center.
Johnson Nkuuhe who is the new board chairperson of NAGRC assured the staff and Executive director that they will restore sanity and glory at the center.
“ We shall not fear anybody, we shall stand firm on top of improving and popularizing the activities at NAGRC,” Nkuhe asserted.
The executive director NAGRC Dr Charles Lagu revealed to minister and new board that, the little time he has been in office he has been able to increase the number of animals most especially cows by more that 1000. Meanwhile the new board rushed at the minster in charge of Agriculture, Vincent Ssempijja Bamulangaki, who allegedly picked 15 bulls from Lusenke stock farm located in Kayunga district without paying for them and slaughtered them for a public function.
According to press reports, he picked the bulls on October 23, 2019, from the government-owned ranch managed by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) but did not pay, records at the ranch indicate.
The new board chairman Johnson Nkuhe said, “There ought to be a procedure through which such animals can be taken but not for someone to just come and pick.” He said the board has started to investigate the matter and that Ssempijja could soon be brought to book to explain his loot.
Ssempijja confirmed he had picked the bulls but said they were not for his personal use. He said,“That was not stealing. There was a function I was having and everybody knew about it and it was announced over the media that the government was informing people of its achievements. We were supposed to invite large numbers of people and talk to them. So, I directed my staff to go and pick the animals and have them slaughtered for the celebrations.”