The family of the late Musa Mwanje at Kiyanja Village in Nakisunga sub-county, Mukono District has petitioned the Attorney General challenging the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development together with the Resident District Commissioner’s (RDC) uninformed directives on their land.
Mwanje’s children including Sazziri Kyebayiga, Akimu Kamya, Hamida Nakyejjwe, and Juma Mujwala through their lawyers of Mukiibi, Nakitende, and company advocates informed the Attorney General that they had been denied the right to enjoy quiet possession of the land by the RDC Fatumah Ndibasa Nabitaka despite proving ownership of land and court orders in the several meetings they have held.
“Despite Ndibasa Nabitaka being aware of the law and status quo on the land she has gone ahead and used state machinery to destroy property on these properties and ferry the eucalyptus trees for her personal use.” The petition reads.
The family also accuses the office of the RDC of blocking their attempts to survey and open boundaries on their land.
The land in question is registered on Block 221 Plots 111,767, 113, 114,232, Block 222 Plots 108,183, 186 Block 223 Plots 56,289,385 whose possession is under the family of the Late Musa Mwanje.
The decades-long dispute involves two families- the Late Musa Mwanje’s family and the Late John Lule Ssebakijja’s family.
Currently, Mwanje’s family is protecting its estate of 100 acres while Ssebakijja’s son, Fulgencio Ssembajjwe is using all possible avenues to secure them.
The matter also attracted the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development- Judith Nalule Nabakooba, who was petitioned to arbitrate the matter for immediate redress but due to its complicity, threw it to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for a fresh, thorough, and impartial investigation instead of advising the discontented family to seek redress from the court of appeal.
Nabakooba, who met at the district administration boardroom on February 14, 2024, found out that the report submitted by the RDC on the matter had wrong intentions due to uncoordinated facts.
It contradicted the two reports filed by the Mukono Division Police Commander Edirisa Kyeyune and that of Brig. Moses Lukyamuzi, the Presidential Task Force on Land Matters and Environment head. Of
The minister disregarded the court’s decision confirming the ownership on the contested land. Justice Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi made a ruling in favour of Mwanje ordering him to repossess his estate. Since then, there has been no other court order challenging her ruling.
“Our clients have been blocked by the office of the RDC from surveying and opening boundaries of their land as anyone who is found surveying the land is arrested and detained on the orders of Ndibasa Nabitaka. …intervene and advise the office of the RDC Mukono regarding the powers and obligations of the RDC under the law. Should you fail to heed to this notice, our instructions are to commence legal proceedings against you.” The petition further reads in parts.
At the beginning of this month, Mwanje’s family also petitioned the Director of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to reaffirm proof as well informing his office that the Minister of Lands Hon. Nabakooba Judith handled this matter without their intervention.
“Most of the squatters on the land were paid off during the lifetime of the late Musa Mwanje. The land has two squatters whose tenancy is recognized.” The family indicated in the petition.
Lately, a group led by the defense secretary of Kakuba-Kiyanja, Richard Tabule is already mobilizing people from five villages for a meeting aimed at settling them on the contested plots of land.
The defense secretary embarked on the campaign on Tuesday calling upon people to gather at St Thomas Church of Uganda-Kakuba for the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development accompanied by the RDC to declare repossession of their plots of land.
None of the authorities in Mukono has so far come out to dispute the defense secretary’s message, either security has got concerned about the insecurity levels the defense secretary is likely to cause within the community.
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