A businessman and a mechanical engineer have been charged with multiple offences related to alleged land grabbing, destruction of property and unlawful eviction of occupants in Kitukutwe Village, Kira Municipality, Wakiso District.
The accused, identified as Ssemakula Yusuf, a businessman, and Kato Erick, a mechanical engineer, were arraigned before Kira Chief Magistrate’s Court on Thursday following investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The two were charged with six counts, including destroying growing plants, forcible entry, forcible detainer and unlawful eviction of bona fide occupants without a court order. They denied the charges and were remanded until November 23, 2026.
Prosecution alleges that between September and November 2025, the accused, together with several other individuals still at large, mobilised an unusually large group of people who allegedly forcefully entered land comprised in Block 180, formerly Plot 2 Kyadondo, with the intention of taking possession of it without obtaining a lawful eviction order.
The prosecution further alleges that in November 2025, the accused, acting alongside their alleged accomplices, destroyed property belonging to three individuals identified as Kabugo William, Kizito Robert Nsimbi and Edisa Sanyu.
Among the property allegedly destroyed were eucalyptus and other natural trees, maize gardens, banana plantations, sweet potatoes, fruit trees and cassava crops.
The prosecution contends that the alleged actions resulted in the destruction of the occupants’ agricultural investments and deprived them of peaceful possession and use of the land.
The case follows investigations into allegations of illegal land acquisition and eviction, with the Anti-Corruption Unit working alongside CID and the ODPP to establish the circumstances surrounding the disputed land.
The accused will return to court on November 23, 2026, as investigations and prosecution proceedings continue.
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