WAKISO – Uncertainty and panic has gripped officials at Wakiso District Lands office after it emerged that the State House anti-corruption unit has refused to release 100 mobile phones that were confiscated over two weeks ago.
The anti-corruption team led by Lt Col Edith Nakalema raided the District Lands office on December 20 amid allegations of corruption. They also arrested some staff and confiscated some computers.
And now this website has learnt that whereas the State House team had returned some computers and released some officials on bond, their cell phones have not been released as well as some physical files.
The move has drawn anxiety from the affected staff especially in the face of allegations that most of the dubious land transfer dealings are done via the phone.
“We simply don’t know what they will discover there. Those phones also contain personal data. They are denying us our privacy,” said one of the officials who was arrested and later granted police bond but preferred anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Always, money is transferred via mobile money during the land dealings with many other transactions conducted via the phone.
Sources within State House have intimated to this website that the anti-corruption team is busy scrutinizing the phone dealings as well as their connection with the documents.
When contacted, senior presidential press secretary Don Wanyama urged the aggrieved parties to report to police, insisting that the Nakalema team is doing their work.
Mr. Hood Golooba, the district councillor representing Bussi Sub-county, said confiscation of lands files has frustrated work at the unit.
“Government should correct all the mistakes done by this unit by bringing back all the files they took to help in their investigations so that the system is back on and allow people to transact their businesses,” said Golooba.
“Last time we were about to die from the district headquarters following orders from the unit that no one should leave or access the district buildings when the operation is going which led to some of our fellow councilors collapse , so this was bad and government should respect people and do what is expected from them” he added.
“There is a lot of uncertainty on how State house will use our data. You can’t just raid and carry away files containing what would be classified information,” Zakariya Musoke who owns land in Wakiso said.
Since it was established nearly a month ago, the State House anti-corruption unit has been busy at work. After raiding Wakiso District Lands office, they visited Kirruddu Hospital and then Bunyoro where some officials were arrested over the Kyangwali land conflict.
Woman rights activist and former Ethics minister Miria Matembe scoffed at the new Anti-corruption Unit calling it a nuisance that according to her will only fuel corruption.