More than 1,500 residents of Buvuma District have accused former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government Patrick Mutabwire of fraudulently acquiring land titles over their ancestral land, sparking fears of mass evictions in at least eight villages.
The allegations were raised during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the State Minister for Fisheries and Buvuma Member of Parliament, Robert Migadde Ndugwa, at the Buvuma County headquarters in Maggyo Village, Nairambi Sub-county.
Residents claim that they and their ancestors have occupied the disputed land for generations, with some families tracing their settlement back more than 600 years. They allege that Mutabwire and several other individuals illegally obtained land titles over public land occupied by bona fide occupants, contrary to Uganda’s land laws.
A petition presented on behalf of the affected residents by Zebio Wasswa accuses Mutabwire, former Buvuma Town Council Chairperson Hilary Ssimbwa and several others of acquiring the titles without following the legally required procedures.
Others named in the petition include Christine Tugume, Claire Birungi, Grace Kalyesubula, John Bosco Bbosa, Kalyesubula Fenekansi, Cate Nabbosa, Allan Kalumba, Rogers Sserugwa and Patrick Kiwuuwa.
The contested land covers the villages of Munyama, Busoka, Kekejje, Bugongo, Kisima and Bugema, among others, with residents warning that entire communities, including ancestral burial grounds, could be wiped out if the evictions proceed.
Residents further alleged that some of the title holders have been advertising the land for sale on TikTok and other social media platforms at prices ranging between Shs2 million and Shs4 million per acre, significantly below the prevailing market value in Buvuma.
The residents also accused Buvuma Resident District Commissioner Hajat Hawa Ndege and Assistant RDC Fred Singoma of siding with the alleged landowners. They claim the RDC’s office has been summoning occupants and ordering them to vacate the land on grounds that it belongs to Mutabwire.
Among those making the accusations is Francis Tugezeeko, son of former Nairambi Sub-county Chairperson and former Buvuma District Council Speaker Sarafin Namuyimba. He said the disputed land has belonged to his family for generations.
“This has been ancestral land passed down through more than six generations. Anyone claiming ownership of it must have acquired it fraudulently,” Tugezeeko said.
He recounted being summoned by the RDC and instructed to leave land that had been inherited from his grandfather.
“When I received the summons from the RDC, I asked my father to accompany me because he is the one who allocated me that piece of land after inheriting it from my grandfather. It was shocking and disheartening to hear the RDC claim that the land belonged to someone else,” he said.
Another resident, Herman Kigongo, claimed that attempts to verify some of the land titles indicated that parts of the titled land allegedly extend into protected forests and wetlands, raising further concerns about how the titles were processed.
The Buganda Kingdom has also entered the dispute. Buvuma County Chief Mbuubi Michael Mboowa said preliminary findings indicate that some of the contested titles overlap with Kabaka’s land.
Lawyers representing the Kingdom told the meeting they had identified apparent irregularities and pledged legal support to residents seeking the cancellation of any unlawfully acquired titles.
Minister Migadde revealed that some of the alleged title holders had previously approached him with offers to sell the disputed land.
“They told me they had over 1,000 acres of land without any encumbrances. I told them it is impossible to have more than 10 acres of land in this area without tenants,” Migadde said.
He explained that he referred the matter to the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, which dispatched a technical team led by Principal Land Officer Rose Bako to investigate the complaints.
According to Migadde, preliminary findings from the ministry indicate apparent irregularities in the issuance of the disputed land titles.
He also criticized the absence of officials from the RDC’s office at the stakeholders’ meeting despite being invited.
“It is unfortunate that the RDC’s office has not been represented in this meeting, despite playing a central role in a matter that threatens the security and livelihoods of nearly 2,000 people living on the affected land. We will seek redress from their appointing authority before the situation deteriorates further,” he said.
Principal Land Officer Rose Bako told residents that the disputed land title applications were processed through the Mukono District Land Board in 2013, even though Buvuma had become an independent district in 2010. She said the anomaly raises questions about the legality of the process.
Bako said investigations are continuing and assured residents that any titles found to have been acquired unlawfully would be recommended for cancellation.
Responding by telephone, RDC Hawa Ndege denied allegations that she had taken sides in the dispute, explaining that she was unable to attend the meeting because she was caring for her critically ill father.
Mutabwire also rejected the accusations, insisting that he lawfully acquired the land.
He argued that the government’s palm oil-growing programme displaced many people after landlords sold land to the government, forcing affected residents to seek settlement elsewhere. According to him, some of those people are now attempting to claim ownership of land that does not belong to them.
However, residents remain steadfast in their claim that they are the rightful occupants and have appealed to the government to protect them from eviction.
For 74-year-old Teddy Nankanja, the dispute goes beyond land ownership.
“I was born here. My grandparents and parents are buried here. I want these land titles cancelled so that I can die knowing my grandchildren will not be forced to leave or even exhume the graves of our ancestors,” she said.
Nalongo Katende Girigooli said she has lived on the land throughout her 54 years of marriage without any disputes.
“It is only recently that we have started seeing strangers bringing potential buyers to inspect the land where we have lived all these years,” she said.
Bugongo Village LC1 Chairperson Ben Muwera described the situation as alarming, saying he has lived on the land for 64 years and served as village chairperson for three decades without ever encountering the individuals now claiming ownership.
“We appeal to the government to protect us,” Muwera said.
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