Uganda: Njeru Investors Raise Land Grabbing Concerns, Warn of Impact On Investment

What the report says

Investors in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District, have warned that ongoing land disputes are slowing business growth and could weaken the area’s appeal to new investors. According to Nile Post, the concerns were raised during a visit to investment sites in Njeru led by Uganda’s Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of Privatisation and Investment, Hajjat Amina Mukalazi, alongside ministry officials and the Uganda Investment Authority.

The main issue discussed was a dispute involving Nyanza Textile Industries Limited (Nytil), whose vice chairman, Mitul Joban Putura, said the conflict over land had affected the company’s plans to expand. He called for government intervention to help resolve the matter. The dispute had also been flagged by Diana Mutasingwa, the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, who said Nytil had previously been called to a meeting convened by the former lands minister.

The article notes that the Nytil case has been linked to a blocked community access road in Naminya South, where a 2024 directive from then Lands Minister Sam Mayanja ordered the company to reopen the route after resident complaints. Some stakeholders later viewed the demolition of part of Nytil’s perimeter wall as creating room for possible encroachment on company land.

Mukalazi urged district authorities and investment agencies to work with investors to settle such disputes, warning that uncertainty over land ownership can discourage investment. The story highlights a broader challenge for industrializing areas like Njeru, where clearer land resolution is seen as important for keeping investor confidence.