Rwabwogo Firmly Rejects Land Corruption Claims from PLU’s Kabanda
Ugandan businessman Odrek Rwabwogo, President Yoweri Museveni’s son-in-law and head of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), has firmly rejected allegations of fraudulent land acquisition leveled by Daudi Kabanda, the Kasambya County MP and Executive Secretary in the office of the National Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU).
The public exchange, which has dominated discussion on X, centers on Kabanda’s call for Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to probe the allocation of seven square miles of land at Nshaara (also spelled Nshara) Government Ranch in Kiruhura District. Kabanda alleged that the land was obtained despite objections from local leaders, purportedly for bull fattening or related livestock projects, but has since been sub-leased to third parties with efforts underway to process titles. He framed the issue as requiring urgent scrutiny and suggested the claims could be taken to President Museveni, stating “WE ARE FED-UP.”
In a detailed audio response widely shared on X, Rwabwogo dismissed the claims as “malicious lies” and “ridiculous.” He described the site as the Nshaara Industrial Park, established to promote agro-industrialization and export growth rather than personal enrichment. Through a company called Rise, he said efforts focus on coffee farming and a meat processing factory. He attributed delays in a larger abattoir project to COVID-19 disruptions, shortages of cattle for daily slaughter, and challenges securing Chinese export certification. Rwabwogo noted that PACEID continues advocating for a stronger food regulatory authority to address certification issues and aims to involve more cattle farmers to build buffer stock.
He also defended a milk factory in Rushere, stating it has purchased more than Shs11 billion worth of milk from farmers over nine years and denying any unpaid obligations to producers. An intermediary who received Shs800 million reportedly mismanaged the funds, after which the factory shifted to direct purchases from farmers. Rwabwogo highlighted community contributions, including bringing tap water, renovating a church, building and equipping Naama Primary School, and plans for a power substation in Kiruhura.
Rwabwogo shared a personal anecdote about previously dismissing Kabanda from NRM mobilization work around 2015 after allegedly finding him in a hotel room with alcohol, a firearm, and a woman after he had switched off his phone. He positioned the current attacks as stemming from a lack of ideological grounding and an effort to divide the NRM, while stressing that no individual has exclusive claim to President Museveni. He also defended his visits to prisoners in Luzira and support for their families as acts of compassion and reconciliation consistent with the rule of law, rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing or intimidation of supporters.
Kabanda has stood firm, responding that Rwabwogo “has said nothing” of substance on the land issue and reiterating demands for answers about the seven square miles at Nshaara Ranch, which he maintains was acquired fraudulently. The back-and-forth underscores broader tensions within NRM and PLU circles regarding land transparency, party unity, accountability for public resources, and internal political rivalries.
Nshaara Ranch, managed by the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), has a documented history of encroachment concerns, boundary disputes, and efforts by authorities to protect government livestock breeding and genetic resources land. Related industrial park developments in the area have previously involved Chinese partners and official commissioning of facilities such as a beef abattoir.
The story remains fluid as a summary of public posts and statements on X; independent verification of specific allocation documents, lease terms, and project status has not been publicly detailed in the ongoing exchange. Both sides continue to press their positions amid calls for greater transparency on government ranch land.
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