GOAT SCAM! Fraudsters Grabs 5 Square Miles of Gov’t Land Under MAAIF, Minister Launches Probe

A simmering land scandal is exploding inside government corridors after shocking revelations emerged that a prime chunk of public land meant for a national goat breeding project may have been illegally converted into private property in what insiders are already calling a “well-calculated land heist.”

Red Pepper has learnt that at the center of the storm is a controversial arrangement involving the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and a private investor, Paul Ssembeguya of Ssembeguya Estates Limited, who was originally allocated the land strictly for goat breeding under a government-backed project. But what started as a noble agricultural initiative is now under intense scrutiny amid allegations of fraud, abuse of public resources, and backdoor land titling.

The bombshell was dropped in a March 24, 2026 letter written by the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, to the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba. The letter, now circulating widely, lays bare a trail of complaints and suspected irregularities surrounding the land located in Sembabule District.

According to the minister, the land in question measuring approximately five square miles forms part of Ranch 25 in Kakidinga. It was allocated under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2013 between MAAIF and Ssembeguya Estates Limited. The objective was clear: to breed improved goats for multiplication and export, a project seen as a key boost to Uganda’s livestock sector.

“This property remained under Government control following the restructuring of the former Masaka ranching scheme,” the minister noted, emphasizing that the land was never meant to be privately owned.

The agreement was reviewed and renewed twice, first in 2015 and again in 2020, with the most recent renewal expiring in 2025. But as the project timeline progressed, cracks began to emerge, culminating in a wave of complaints that have now triggered a full-blown investigation.

“My office has been receiving several complaints and petitions regarding the usage of the above-described land in Sembabule,” Tumwebaze revealed in the letter, signaling the gravity of the situation.

Among the most explosive allegations is that the land is no longer being used for its intended purpose. Instead of goat breeding, parts of it are reportedly being rented out to other settlers in a move that directly contradicts the original project objectives.

“Usage of the land deviating from the original project objectives to being rented out to other settlers,” the minister wrote, highlighting what appears to be a blatant misuse of government resources.

But it is the second allegation that has truly sent shockwaves through government. There are claims that an illegal land title was processed through the Masaka Zonal Land Office, effectively turning public land into private property without the consent of MAAIF or the Government.

“Alleged processing of an illegal title through the Masaka land office to have it owned by individuals as private land without Government/MAAIF consent,” the letter states.

This revelation points to a possible syndicate involving powerful individuals within land administration structures, raising fears of a coordinated effort to grab public land under the guise of investment.

In a strongly worded statement, Tumwebaze did not mince words about the seriousness of the alleged actions.

“However, the alleged processing of a title without the Ministry’s consent tantamounts to an illegal and fraudulent action,” he warned.

The minister has since swung into action, instituting a technical committee under his ministry to investigate the matter thoroughly. The committee, headed by the Under Secretary, has been tasked with establishing whether Ssembeguya has been using the land in line with the agreed project objectives and to uncover the truth behind the alleged illegal titling.

“I have set up a technical committee under my Ministry… to investigate all these claims and check whether Ssembeguya is using the land in accordance with the project objectives,” the minister stated.

The outcome of this investigation is expected to guide decisive administrative action, which could include cancellation of agreements, repossession of land, and possible criminal proceedings against those found culpable.

Tumwebaze has also called upon the Ministry of Lands to urgently intervene and halt any ongoing fraudulent processes, particularly at the Masaka Zonal Land Office, which has been singled out as a potential hotspot for the alleged manipulation.

“I appeal to your Ministry to investigate and stop this alleged fraud. The Masaka zonal office in particular… should take note and stop the illegal processes if any,” he urged.

In a move that signals the seriousness of the matter, copies of the letter were sent to a wide array of powerful offices, including the Inspectorate of Government, State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Internal Security Organisation, Uganda Land Commission, and top officials within both the Lands and Agriculture ministries.

Paul Ssembeguya has also been formally notified and asked to cooperate with the investigation, raising the stakes even higher as the probe unfolds.

But as the land saga unfolds, a darker, older scandal is resurfacing—one that paints an even more troubling picture of the entire goat project from its very inception.

Back in 2013, what was sold to the public as a poverty eradication masterstroke was already wobbling under the weight of controversy. Under a Shs7.2 billion Poverty Eradication Project, a total of 3,023 hybrid goats were supposed to be procured and distributed to farmers across the country as they multiplied. The vision was simple: create a self-sustaining cycle of livestock wealth for rural households.

Nearly a decade later, that dream appears to have vanished into thin air.

The goats, which should have multiplied into tens of thousands, are nowhere to be seen.

Summoned before Parliament to explain the shocking disappearance, Ssembeguya admitted that the goats did indeed multiply—but stunned legislators when he demanded a staggering Shs12 billion from government as “accommodation fees” for hosting the animals on his farm in Sembabule for five years.

Yes, Shs12 billion—just to house goats.

He told MPs that under the agreement, government was supposed to pay Shs1,500 per goat per day as a lodging fee, a claim that left the committee in disbelief.

“In the memorandum of understanding I signed with the government, my farm was supposed to be a tourist camp where farmers would be trained and not a breeding ground for the goats,” Ssembeguya said.

He further shifted blame to government, arguing that despite receiving Shs7.2 billion, only about Shs800 million went into training farmers, while maintenance and vaccination costs were not fully catered for.

The project itself has roots stretching back to the 2004/2005 financial year when it received more than Shs878.6 million for infrastructure and the first batch of goats. Later, an additional Shs997.3 million was injected into the farm by the Agriculture Ministry.

Under the original deal, the farm was expected to supply 150 male and 200 female exotic goats using its own funds, alongside a massive 54,000 improved Mubende goats financed by government.

But the Auditor General later discovered glaring inconsistencies, noting that some goats were never supplied as required.

Even more baffling, Members of Parliament estimated that the initial 3,023 goats should have multiplied to at least 30,023 within five years. Instead, the animals appear to have vanished without a trace.

“They all seem to have crossed to greener pastures that no one seems able to find,” one MP remarked during the heated hearings.

Now, with fresh allegations of land grabbing, illegal titling, and misuse of government property, the ghost of the missing goats is haunting the project once again.

What was once pitched as a flagship poverty eradication initiative is fast turning into a textbook case of how public resources can be diverted, mismanaged, and possibly captured by private interests.

“This is not just about goats anymore. This is about the systematic grabbing of public land under the cover of investment,” a source familiar with the matter told Red Pepper.

As the investigation gathers momentum, all eyes are now on the technical committee and the Lands Ministry to unravel what could become one of the most explosive land scandals in recent years.

If the allegations are confirmed, the fallout could be massive, exposing deep-rooted corruption networks, triggering high-level prosecutions, and possibly leading to the recovery of millions—if not billions—of taxpayer money.