Retired Major General Kahinda Otafiire has rejected allegations linking him to a medicinal cannabis plantation in Njeru, saying the disputed land belongs to Kampala-based lawyer Counsel Faizal Wesige and that neither the farm nor the company operating the project is his.
Otafiire made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday following media reports that associated him with the cultivation of cannabis on land in Njeru, Buikwe District. The former Defence Minister said the reports had created the impression that he personally owned the plantation and had unlawfully cultivated cannabis.
He instead argued that Uganda’s current legal framework permits cannabis cultivation for authorised purposes, provided operators obtain the required licences and regulatory approvals.
“The President of Uganda assented to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2023. The law provides a regulatory framework under which the cultivation of prohibited plants, including cannabis, may be licensed for lawful purposes,” Otafiire said.
His statement comes amid questions surrounding a cannabis-growing project in Njeru and an operation at the site that reportedly resulted in arrests and damage to property. Otafiire sought to separate himself from both the ownership of the project and the individuals who were reportedly arrested during the operation.
Otafiire Explains Uganda’s Cannabis Law
Otafiire said the 2023 legislation followed the Constitutional Court’s nullification of the previous Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 2015 on procedural grounds related to the absence of the constitutionally required parliamentary quorum.
He said the new law created a framework through which cannabis could be cultivated for legitimate and regulated purposes.
According to Otafiire, cannabis has also attracted growing international scientific and medical interest, with researchers examining cannabinoids for potential applications in areas such as pain management, certain forms of epilepsy and nausea associated with chemotherapy.
He said Uganda had consequently developed mechanisms allowing appropriately licensed companies and organisations to participate in medicinal and experimental cannabis activities, subject to regulatory oversight.
Otafiire listed several companies and organisations that he said had sought or obtained permits or licences for cannabis-related activities in Uganda.
They include Barinabo Farm Limited, Cannabis Pharma Limited, Magsgreen Acres, CTI Agri Uganda Limited, Hoima Energy Limited, Industrial Hemp Pharmaceuticals, Premier Hemp Limited and Healing Hemp Limited, among others.
Barinabo Farm at Centre of Njeru Project
According to Otafiire, the Njeru plantation was being operated by Barinabo Farm Limited, which applied for and was granted permission to cultivate medicinal cannabis on a trial or experimental basis.
He said the company’s application identified Kiryandongo and Njeru as proposed experimental locations.
Barinabo Farm Limited subsequently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Industrial Hemp Uganda and Industrial Hemp Pharmaceuticals, according to Otafiire.
He said Industrial Hemp Pharmaceuticals operates a production facility in Komamboga, Kampala, and had previously engaged government officials and the National Drug Authority regarding its products and operations.
Under the arrangement, Otafiire said Industrial Hemp Pharmaceuticals was expected to purchase cannabis cultivated at the farm for research and authorised product-development activities.
He said the company had developed a number of products, including Cancare, Cancure, Digest Pro, Natural Balance, Cannabis Tea and CBD Skin Cream.
Otafiire, however, cautioned against automatically treating claims made about cannabis-based products as established medical facts, saying such claims should be evaluated within the relevant scientific, medical and regulatory framework.
‘The Land Is Not Mine’
At the heart of Otafiire’s defence is the question of who owns the land on which the cannabis was cultivated.
He identified the property as Block 205, Plot 279, saying it belongs to lawyer Faizal Wesige.
“The cannabis plantation in Njeru is situated on Block 205, Plot 279. That land is held and owned by Kampala based lawyer Counsel Faizal Wesige,” Otafiire said.
He added that the property formed part of the former Plot 3, Bukaya, Njeru, which he said was previously owned by Christopher Lule.
Otafiire stressed that the disputed property should not be confused with two other plots in Bukaya, Njeru that he acknowledged owning.
“It is not Plot 280 or Plot 283, Bukaya, Njeru, which are the plots that I, Kahinda Otafiire, own. The land on which the cannabis was cultivated is not mine. The company undertaking the project is not mine. The existence of a medicinal cannabis project does not, by itself, establish unlawful conduct,” he said.
The distinction appears central to Otafiire’s response to the allegations. While confirming that he owns property in the wider Njeru area, he insists that the specific parcel containing the cannabis plantation belongs to another person.
## Otafiire Questions Army Operation
Otafiire also questioned the manner in which authorities handled the Njeru operation, alleging that property was destroyed and the project disrupted before the relevant authorities had adequately established who owned the land and what activities were taking place there.
He attributed the operation to the army and said it was reportedly conducted on the instructions of State Minister for Agriculture Bright Rwamirama and others.
“The actions undertaken by the army, reportedly on the instructions of Hon. Bright Rwamirama and others, are regrettable, particularly because of the damage allegedly caused to the facility and the consequential effect on Industrial Hemp Pharmaceuticals, which was intended to off take the crop,” he said.
The allegations raise questions about the extent to which government agencies had verified the licensing status of the project before the operation was carried out. Otafiire argued that proper verification should have preceded any intervention.
Denies Links to Arrested Soldiers
The retired general also denied that soldiers arrested during the operation were acting on his behalf.
“As for the soldiers who were arrested, they had nothing to do with me in relation to the cannabis project,” he said.
Otafiire explained that soldiers deployed in the area were tasked with protecting strategic national installations, including air-defence installations, the dam and the bridge.
He said his interaction with some servicemen was unrelated to the cannabis plantation, explaining that he had allowed some of them to grow ordinary agricultural produce on his land as a way of supplementing their incomes.
He linked the gesture to his long association with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and his earlier involvement with the former FRONASA and NRA leadership.
## Warns of Possible Compensation Claims
Beyond denying ownership, Otafiire warned that the disruption of the project could have financial consequences.
He said companies involved in the venture, including foreign investors, had allegedly committed substantial amounts of capital and entered into commercial off-take arrangements.
According to Otafiire, the destruction of property and interruption of operations could therefore expose the government to potential claims for damages and lost income.
“These are matters that the relevant government authorities and the Attorney General’s office may ultimately have to address,” Otafiire said.
His comments suggest that the dispute could extend beyond the immediate allegations surrounding cannabis cultivation and develop into a broader legal and financial confrontation if the affected companies pursue compensation.
## ‘In Their Zeal to Hurt Otafiire’
Otafiire accused those responsible for associating him with the plantation of acting without adequately investigating the ownership and legal status of the project.
“In their zeal to hurt Otafiire, they have trespassed upon and damaged property reportedly worth millions of dollars which has absolutely nothing to do with me,” he said.
He also criticised the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Research Organisation, saying they should have carried out more thorough verification before action was taken.
Otafiire argued that investigators could have established the identity of the landowner and the nature of the cannabis venture before intervening.
“Had the Ministry of Agriculture and NAGRIC undertaken proper verification and established the ownership of the land and the nature of the venture before acting, they would have discovered these facts,” he said.
He compared the alleged handling of the matter to bulls being let loose in a china shop, suggesting that authorities caused significant damage before establishing the facts.
Challenges Accusers to Produce Evidence
Otafiire concluded his statement by challenging those who have linked him to the plantation to provide evidence rather than relying on speculation.
“Those making allegations against me have an obligation to establish the facts before presenting speculation as truth,” he said.
The retired general maintained that the existence of a cannabis project on land in which he says he has no ownership does not establish that he was involved in the venture.
His statement also places emphasis on the distinction between owning land in the same area and owning the specific parcel where the cannabis was reportedly cultivated.
He ended his statement with a pointed question: “Now, who is fooling whom?”
“Continue miscalculating. I will not be here,” Otafiire said.
The controversy now leaves several questions for the relevant authorities to clarify, including the exact licensing status of the Njeru operation, the ownership of Block 205, Plot 279, the circumstances surrounding the reported army operation, the property damage alleged by Otafiire and the status of the individuals arrested.
For now, Otafiire’s position is unequivocal: he denies owning the cannabis plantation, denies owning the company behind the project and denies directing the soldiers arrested during the operation. He maintains that the plantation sits on land belonging to Wesige and that the legality of the venture should be determined by Uganda’s cannabis licensing and regulatory framework rather than by assumptions based on his ownership of other property in Njeru.
