President Yoweri Museveni is continuing with his campaign of addressing land issues using various national radio stations.

Museveni started his campaign in Kigezi and was yesterday in Ankole. In Kigezi, Museveni attacked the opposition for ‘misleading’ Ugandans that the proposed land amendment to allow government’s compulsory acquisition of land was meant to help him and his officers grab land.

On Tuesday, Museveni appeared on Mbarara-based Radio West, naming and shaming some of the region’s land extortionists that had over-valued their land, blocking government from undertaking projects.

Museveni named the first ‘extortionist’ as Charles Kuhirwa, explaining to the listeners how he had overpriced his land.

“You have a man like Charles Kahirwa in Ntungamo district. He delayed a power line project for three years; he wanted to be paid Shs 200m for each acre of land. His piece of land, moreover in a rural area, delayed the entire project for three years. Because of the delay the contractor fined government Shs 19bn,” Museveni said.

“I happened to have got some land there and they cheated me 100 percent because I am president. I heard that an acre was Shs 5m but the owner when he heard that I was the one buying, he asked for Shs 12m and I paid 12m. In this same area, someone is asking for 200 million.”

“The power line was coming from Jinja to Rwanda. By Kahirwa’s land pricing, we would have paid Shs 780bn in land compensation! What sort of a country is this?”

Museveni then named another man: UPDF’s Captain David Bashaija who he said had blocked a power project for three years. According to Museveni, Bashaija wanted Shs 800m yet his piece of land had been valued at Shs 240m.

The other ‘extortionist’, Museveni continued, was Barnabas Kwesiga who wanted Shs 28 bn from his 2.5 acres of land.

The other was Gedion Ndabagye who asked for Shs 17.5bn.

Museveni wondered why everyone was asking for huge sums.

“On the Bujagali project, the people of Kakira Sugar Factory asked for Shs. 28billion. Everyone wants to be paid in billions and billions of money!”