MBARARA – The Mbarara District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), David Muhwezi, has been arrested after the District Public Accounts Committee (PAC) exposed damning irregularities in the allocation of prime public land.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The arrest, which took place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, follows a special PAC sitting convened to scrutinize audit queries for the 2024/2025 financial year.
The committee uncovered that over 20 acres of district land on the prestigious Kamukuzi Hill had been allocated to various entities without proper documentation or adherence to due process.
The investigation revealed that several prime parcels of land were allocated to institutions, including the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), the Office of the Auditor General, and Kampala International University (KIU).
Further scrutiny by the committee identified additional allocations to Uganda Management Institute (0.427 hectares), Makerere University Business School (0.626 hectares), Megger Technical Services (1.4221 hectares), and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, among others.
PAC Committee Chairperson Herbert Kamugisha revealed that concerns were raised about land reportedly leased at rates as low as UGX 30 million per acre, a figure committee members described as potentially far below market value.
Appearing before the committee, CAO Muhwezi attempted to defend the allocations, explaining that the district had acted upon requests from various institutions. Muhwezi said he subsequently sought guidance from the Uganda Land Commission, which granted permission for the subdivision.
However, PAC members were unconvinced, faulting Muhwezi for allegedly failing in his role as the district’s chief technical officer. The committee argued he should have properly advised the council on the legal and administrative implications of the land allocations before any decisions were taken.
The PAC promptly ordered Muhwezi to vacate office with immediate effect and recommended his arrest to allow for unfettered investigations. He was swiftly handed over to police and is currently being detained at Bwizibwera Police Station.
The committee further halted all land allocations, subdivisions, leases, and disposals, while also demanding a comprehensive valuation of all government-owned property on Kamukuzi Hill.
The development adds to mounting land management concerns in Mbarara District, which has previously struggled with missing titles for Kakyeka Stadium and other valuable public properties.
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