CN Sugar Agent Arrested Amidst Land Dispute in Busia

Police in Busia District have apprehended Joseph Nyongeza, an agent linked to CN Sugar Limited, on allegations of fraud and misrepresentation regarding the company’s land claims.

The arrest followed a significant public outcry, with residents storming the Resident District Commissioner’s (RDC) office to denounce the land acquisition as a “scam.”

Nyongeza is currently detained at Busia Central Police Station as investigations proceed. This development stems from a formal protest by local authorities who are questioning the validity of the land documents presented by CN Sugar Ltd. The company is asserting a claim to approximately 16,830 acres of land in Dabani sub-county.

Local leaders, including the LC1 Chairperson of Busumba A Village, have issued a letter stating that Nyongeza holds no land in the area and expressing concern that the purported lease to CN Sugar Ltd is illegitimate and threatens residents’ ancestral land.

During a recent field verification, CN Sugar Ltd allegedly failed to present documentation for four specific land parcels. Instead, representatives presented alternative properties, including a roughly 2,500-acre tract linked to Nyongeza. Investigators found that these substituted properties lacked adequate proof of title, registered leases, or survey plans, and there was no clear evidence of how the claimed acreage was calculated or if existing interests had been resolved.

Preliminary findings suggest that only a small fraction, less than 1%, of the land claimed by CN Sugar Ltd can be officially verified as linked to the company. Investigations are underway to determine if fraudulent representations were made to government ministries and the Sugar Council regarding land availability.

Security agencies and district leaders confirmed that inquiries into potential fraud, forgery, and land grabbing involving CN Sugar’s agents are actively ongoing.

Source: Nile Post