A violent land dispute in Ntawo, Mukono has escalated after armed goons allegedly attacked and robbed administrators of the late Ham Mukasa’s estate, leaving some of them injured and property destroyed.
The incident, which occurred on September 7, 2025, stresses the growing tensions over more than 600 acres of contested land between the family of the late Mukono statesman and Uganda Christian University (UCU) Holdings, with links to Mukono Diocese.
According to Fahad Mutumba, one of the administrators, the family had gone to the land to plan the construction of offices when a group of about 100 men ambushed them.
“We had come to clear where we wanted to set up an office after being tipped off that grabbers and conmen were using our land. We were attacked, beaten, car windows smashed, and millions of shillings stolen,” Mutumba narrated.
The assailants reportedly claimed to have been hired by Bishop Enos Kitto Kagodo of Mukono Diocese.
However, Bishop Kagodo distanced himself from the chaos, dismissing the allegations as attempts to drag his name into conflicts unrelated to him.
The Ntawo land is not under my jurisdiction, and I have no reason to fight for it. Those attackers are self-seekers using my name for their gain,” Kagodo said.
Another administrator, Ham Ggalabuzi Mukasa, accused the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of dragging its feet in resolving the family’s petition lodged in 2023 over the alleged improper issuance of a land title.
“We’ve been waiting for over a year and a half for a report from the Ministry, but despite reminders, they’ve remained silent.
This silence makes us suspect collusion with the church to deny us justice,” Ggalabuzi said.
While some Ntawo residents welcomed the family’s clearing of the land as a step toward reducing crime in the area, they condemned the use of violence.
“This is good for our community because it will help reduce robbers and rapists, but the goons have painted a bad image of our village,” said Luwangula Isa, a resident.
Police, led by SSP Patrick Onyango, Kampala Metropolitan PRO, confirmed the confrontation and said officers intervened to stop further violence.
They advised both parties to resolve the matter through court processes and urged victims of assault and theft to file formal complaints for investigation.
The Ntawo land row adds to Uganda’s long list of unresolved land disputes, often marked by violence, conflicting titles, and allegations of high-level interference.
With the matter now spilling into open confrontations, calls are growing for urgent government intervention to protect lives and property.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Lands on the stalled petition were unsuccessful.
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