Members of parliament have requested government to fence Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute in Kabanyolo (MUARIK) in order to protect it from land encroachers.
The MPs said MUARIK is at risk of losing 650acres valued at 325Bn if the land is not fenced off, after one individual allegedly took a portion of the land to construct a private school. Muwanga Kivumbi, chairperson Parliament Accounting Committee said the encroachment is as a result of poor land management.
“The land was being poorly managed in many Public Universities and as such, substantial amounts had been encroached on, which could lead to loss. For this particular case for example, the approximate value of an acre of land around Kabanyolo is about Shs500million and therefore having 650 acres of land worth Shs325Bn exposed to encroachment is very risky. Government should provide funds and ensure that Institute land is fully secured and fenced off to guard against further encroachment,” he said.
The request to fence Kabanyolo follows the Auditor General’s inspection that revealed that the University’s land has already been encroached upon and a school is being built on it. Makerere University administration said that there is already an ongoing court battle between the university and the school.
Management noted that their need for a fence between MUARIK and Kabanyolo North to reduce theft of farm products though funding constraints have limited the fencing off efforts.
MPs also noted that Kabanyolo is understaffed and that could lead to work overload leading to low productivity.
“The low staffing levels could lead to work overload resulting into low productivity and other management challenges associated with hiring temporary employees,” Muwanga Kivumbi added.
University management acknowledged receiving a request for urgent recruitment of 1) Assistant Farm Manager – Livestock, 2) Assistant Farm Manager – Crops, 3) Training Coordinator, 4) Secretary, and at least 15 additional Security Guards from the Kabanyolo Administration.
