A bitter land dispute in Kakunyu, Masaka City has escalated into a major controversy involving allegations of political interference, violent evictions and corruption within state institutions, as the family of the late Yoana Batista Walubi accuses powerful local actors of orchestrating a land grab.
At the center of the storm are accusations that Rogers Bulegeya, the chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Masaka City, is allegedly financing efforts to seize the Walubi family’s land, while authorities including Resident District Commissioner Ahamada Washaki are accused of failing to act despite multiple complaints.
The claims remain allegations, but they have ignited outrage among the affected family and community members who say the situation reflects a deeper crisis of land governance and accountability.
A Land Purchase That Sparked A Decades-Long Dispute
The contested property sits on land registered as Block 508, including Plots 63, 68 and 69 in Kakunyu in Kimanya-Kabonera Municipality, Masaka City.
According to family records, the late Yoana Batista Walubi purchased approximately 5.20 acres of the land in 1973 from the late Eneriko Kibale, who had inherited about 30 acres from his father, the late Zozwe Mulambula.
Walubi occupied and utilized the land for decades under a purchase agreement but died before securing a formal land title, a gap that relatives say has now been exploited by rivals.
The late Damyano Kivumbi, a neighbour, had earlier purchased 10 acres from the same seller in 1972, while another buyer, the late Augustine Munyankiiko, acquired land from the same estate in 1984.
To safeguard their interests, both Walubi and Kivumbi placed caveats on Block 508 Plot 63 on June 6, 1984, citing their status as purchasers awaiting formal titles.
However, during subsequent land registration processes, officials discovered that Plots 68 and 69 were mistakenly interchanged during registration at the land office, an administrative error that appears to have complicated the ownership trail.
The dispute intensified in 2024 when Kimbowa John Bosco son of the late Damyano Kivumbi allegedly accused the Walubi heirs of encroaching on land belonging to his family.
The administrators of the Walubi estate, led by Kizito Francis Walubi, insist that their family are the rightful Kibanja holders and have peacefully occupied the land since 1973.
But what began as a civil disagreement soon escalated into what the family describes as intimidation and violent eviction attempts.
According to the family, groups of armed men reportedly wielding machetes were deployed to the land, where they allegedly destroyed crops, vandalized homes and threatened residents in an effort to force them off the property.
The family claims the attackers even pitched camp on the land, effectively taking control of sections of the disputed property.
Finger Pointed At Political Power Brokers
In their most explosive claim yet, the Walubi family alleges that the operation is being orchestrated by Masaka City NRM chairman Bulegeya, whom they accuse of bankrolling the land takeover through intermediaries.
They argue that Kimbowa is merely a front in a wider scheme driven by powerful political interests with an eye on the land’s growing value.
“These people believe their connections can override justice,” a family representative said. “Our father’s land is being taken in broad daylight.” Meanwhile, these remain mere allegations against Bulegeya since they have not been verified.
RDC Sleeps On Job
The controversy has also drawn attention to the conduct of local administrators, particularly Resident District Commissioner Washaki Ahamada.
The Walubi family alleges that they have been crying to area RDC but to date he has not helped them, leaving them exposed to continued harassment.
The Walubi family also alleges that officers attached to Kimanya-Kabonera Division have frustrated attempts to pursue criminal cases.
The family accuse local officers of colluding with rival claimants and sabotaging files opened by the Walubi family.
The family believes several cases against Kimbowa may have been quietly shelved after alleged bribes were paid to senior police officers.
Ministerial Orders Ignored
The dispute even reached the desk of Kahinda Otafiire, Uganda’s Minister of Internal Affairs, who reportedly wrote to the Inspector General of Police on July 25, 2025, requesting investigations into allegations of threats to life and malicious arrests linked to the case.
However, the Walubi family claims the directive has had little effect on the ground.
They argue that local power structures and political influence have effectively neutralized attempts to enforce the minister’s orders.
It is against this background that this background that this family has petitioned the State House Anti Corruption Unit, The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba, State House Land Protection Unit and Inspector General of Government (IGG).
They are also appealing to President Yoweri Museveni and national judicial authorities to investigate the alleged corruption and political interference surrounding the case which was lodged before the High Court in Masaka in a last-ditch attempt to reclaim their land.
For the Walubi family, the fight has become about more than land.
“It is about justice,” one family member said. “If powerful people can take our father’s land this way, then no ordinary citizen is safe.”
As the court prepares to examine the dispute, the Kakunyu case is fast becoming a test of whether Uganda’s land governance system can withstand allegations of political pressure, bribery and violent dispossession. Stay tuned for our next series on this matter!
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