The Kampala Archdiocesan Land Board has defended the Catholic Church against allegations of land grabbing and unlawful title transfer related to the burial of the late Maria Thereza Nakibuuka, a long-serving Catholic and member of the Legion of Mary.
In a detailed interview at Lubaga Cathedral, Rev. Fr. Mark Richard Ssajjabi, CEO of the Archdiocesan Land Board, expressed regret over the controversy surrounding Nakibuuka’s final resting place but firmly stated that the land in question was legally and willingly donated to the Church, with full documentation to support the claim.
“We have all the paperwork — the donation deed, the signed land title transfer, and a letter of appreciation from the then Archbishop,” said Fr. Ssajjabi. “It is unfair to claim we grabbed land when the donor, in her full faculties, gave it willingly.”
He explained that the donation was formally effected in 2017, with the title transferred to the Registered Trustees of the Archdiocese of Kampala for religious development.
While the land was given to the Legion of Mary — a national Catholic lay apostolate — it was registered under the Archdiocese due to its location.
This clarification comes in response to claims from family members who allege that Nakibuuka only handed over the land title for safekeeping.
“The documents are here — meeting minutes, deeds, transfers — everything,” Fr. Ssajjabi said, showing the documents briefly to a reporter.
However, he explained that photography was not permitted, as the documents form part of the Church’s official archives and can only be released with the Archbishop’s approval.
Among the records is a letter from Nakibuuka, indicating she had previously sold part of the land to a third party.
The Church, he noted, honored her request by facilitating the subdivision of the land and returning the sold portion to the rightful buyer.
“We had already received the donation. We could have refused, but we respected her wishes and acted in good faith,” he added.
Tensions escalated when some family members reportedly blocked burial arrangements on the donated land, claiming the Church had no right to it.
Others accused the Church of selling the land twice — accusations Fr. Ssajjabi called false and disheartening.
“We were even accused of refusing burial on the land, which is not true,” he said. “It was Maria’s wish to be buried there, and we supported it.”
Fr. Ssajjabi said a meeting with the family was held shortly after her death, during which he pledged to re-engage the Legion of Mary to seek an amicable solution.
However, before further discussions could take place, the matter was publicized in national media, with accusations of land theft dominating headlines.
He noted a recurring pattern in such disputes, particularly when land is donated during a donor’s lifetime but contested by relatives after their death — often triggered by urban development and rising land values.
“Unfortunately, once development plans emerge, land suddenly becomes contested even if it was donated years earlier,” he said. “The population is growing, land isn’t, and poverty is real. People will do anything to get land.”
To prevent future disputes, Fr. Ssajjabi said the Archdiocese now encourages donors to sign formal donation deeds alongside land title transfers.
Despite the ongoing conflict, he remained respectful toward the family and called for understanding and dialogue.
“It’s painful that we’re arguing over a grave. But we continue to engage those concerned. We have no interest in conflict; we simply act as custodians of what was freely entrusted to us,” he concluded.
The matter remains under discussion, with Church leaders and members of the Legion of Mary seeking a peaceful resolution.
Meanwhile, many of the faithful remember Maria Thereza Nakibuuka not only as a devout Catholic but also as a generous woman who wished her legacy to serve the Church.
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