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The farm was burnt by unknown individuals
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As the dispute over ownership of the Njeru Stock Farm in Buikwe intensifies, unknown individuals raided the farm on Tuesday night and set it on fire. According to police, the suspects used chemicals to spray the farm, leaving the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB) management struggling to feed the animals.
Dr. Carolyne Wabule, the Njeru Stock Farm manager, confirmed the incident. “We reported the matter to the Njeru Police Station, but the officer in charge informed us that they had received a survey report indicating the land in question belongs to Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, and he has the right to do what he wants on his land. It is rather unfortunate that even before the details of the survey report are made public, innocent animals are being made to suffer. This is horrid,” she said.
The Njeru Stock Farm, owned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, is managed through NAGRC&DB. However, Otafiire and several other high-ranking government officials claim large sections of the ranch, stating they bought the land from the original owners after the government's lease allegedly expired.
Last month, President Yoweri Museveni ordered Otafiire to back off the Njeru Stock Farm pending a detailed and comprehensive report on the land's ownership status by Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka. The President issued this directive on May 13, 2024, after the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Lt. Col. Bright Rwamirama, requested government intervention due to a series of activities linked to Otafiire at the farm.
Otafiire insists that he legally acquired the controversial land.
