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There has been speculation by Ugandans on how Mr. Yoweri Museveni came to own the Kisozi ranch.
Some sources say that he got it from Hajji Kafumisi the former owner of Resort Beach in Entebbe, the same man who owns Kisozi Complex.
We recently came across some new findings which Ugandans can add to this growing story. The area around Kisozi ranch is called Katwe Kambwa and Katwe Kanyama.
In the 1960s the Uganda government bought land around that area and planned to use it to create a ranch for the Ministry of Defence. That was when dictator Idi Amin overthrew Obote's government and the plans stopped.
The land originally belonged to a saza chief of the area which is called Gombe. He left it to his son called Busulwa who is now in his 90s.
When Museveni came to power in 1986, he took a surveyor to Gombe to measure the land, then he 'acquired' it.
We can guess that because Museveni was working for Obote in the President's Office in 1970, he might have come to know about these plans or may have been on the security team which went to survey the land for the Ministry of Defence. Otherwise of all the valubale properties around, how did he go straight for this MoD farm as soon as he captured power? Museveni's sharp eye must have liked it so much and never forgot it since the 70s. And when he came to power, Ugandans went into a deep sleep as Kisozi ranch became one of the earliest instances of grabbing of property, later baptised "privatization" and applied to nearly all former public land, buildings and corporations.
Major Muhoozi Kainerugaba was not amused when he discovered that Museveni decided to put the ranch in the names of Amber Kyambadde, the son he has with Amelia Kyambadde. Muhoozi and got into an angry exchange with his father at State House Nakasero.
Radio Katwe told our readers that Museveni got so angry and ordered Muhoozi put under house arrest at Katabi barracks on the way to Kampala. But we have since got information that the First Son was not detained in Katabi but in a barracks which is located inside the grounds of State House in Entebbe.
A PGB source in State House said at that time that "We are guarding a secret", to mean that they had Muhoozi under house arrest but could not talk about it.
Readers Comments:
17 Jul 2008
1.
The Buganda kingdom has a a complete map of the 9000 sq miles.The map shows M7 Kisozi ranch is located on the 9000 sq miles so I dont know who you think you are fooling by running this story.
2.
Did Obote's Government really buy the land or confiscated it from the said Saza chief?I find it difficult to believe that Obote's government could have done that - given how it treated Baganda at the time. But if there is evidence then it should be produced.
3.
Radio Katwe ,
your story about Museveni`s land / farm in Kisozi is totally wrong.
The farm and land in question belonged to Haji Kassim Kiwanuka aka Kisozi. In 1986, Kiwanuka went to the former Republic House ( Bulange ) to chase some old bills. That is when he was asked to lend his farm to NRA to be used as a collection center for the cows that Nra was buying to give back to the people of Luwero whose cows had been eaten by Nra or stolen by Obotes army.
The farm was hired for a while . After some time , Kiwanuka and some few Nra Officers struck a deal in which Nra would buy the whole farm. The Late Col Sserwanga Lwanga and the late Col. Guma were involved in this deal. Kiwunuka sold it and used the money to go into other businesses.
When Museveni saw the farm, he took it over as his personal farm.
This is the only correct version of how that land become Musevenis.
These other stories about Kyambaade, Muhoozi and others is pure speculation. It has nothing to do with how the farm was aquired.
4.
This ranch was being run by the the NRA's directorate of production headed by maj. Katirima. It was part of the NEC projects like NEClime in Dura kasese, kiryandongo Farm, etc. The ranch is museveni's 2nd wife and mother of the young children's home.
U can find out more. Thx
5.
Dear Editor,
Allow me correct an error of omission or comission. The gentleman you always refer to as Haji 'Kafumisi' is actually Haji Kasim Kiwanuka of Komamboga, Gayaza road. I have never heard him call himself 'Kafumisi' unless this is his nickname.
I know that he owned Kisozi Ranchers before and Kayabwe coffee factory in the 1980s. Recently Nasser Sebagala's son got married to kiwanuka's daughter Shiellah. That is easy to verify!
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