The Members of Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Muwanga Kivumbi, have said that there is a significant risk facing the Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute in Kabanyolo (MUARIK), which stands to lose 650 acres of land valued at approximately Ugx 325 billion if immediate action is not taken to secure the property.

Members of Parliament (MPs) expressed their uneasiness regarding the inadequate management of land at public universities, which has led to substantial encroachments, saying that already an individual has encroached on a portion of the land to construct a private school.

Kivumbi made these remarks during a session with Makerere University officials at Parliament on September 19, 2024, where he urged the government to allocate funds to ensure that the institute’s land is fully secured and fenced to prevent further encroachment.

“The approximate value of an acre of land around Kabanyolo is about Ugx 500 million. Therefore, having 650 acres of land worth Ugx 325 billion exposed to encroachment is very risky,” Kivumbi said.

In addition to land security, the MPs raised concerns about the low staffing levels at MUARIK, where a report revealed that out of an approved staffing structure of 235 positions, only 37 have been filled, leaving a staggering 196 positions vacant, which constitutes 83% of the workforce.

“Low staffing could lead to work overload, resulting in decreased productivity and other management challenges associated with temporary hires,” Kivumbi noted.

The university administration acknowledged the urgent need for recruitment, specifically for positions of assistant farm managers for livestock and crops, a training coordinator, a secretary, and at least 15 additional security guards.

In another development, Parliament directed Makerere University to recover Ugx 127,059,137 paid to a contract staff member who absconded from duty at the College of Computing and ICT Training.

“The delayed removal of staff from payroll results in payment for services not rendered to the university, thus causing financial loss to the government.

The accounting officer should recover the funds within six months of the adoption of this report,” Kivumbi directed.

Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK) was established as a farm in 1953 and upgraded to a fully-fledged research institute in 1992 under the then Faculty of Agriculture. It currently falls under the School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES),