A deepening land dispute has fractured the National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership in Masaka District, threatening plans to establish a permanent district headquarters.
The standoff pits current District Chairperson Harman Muwuulya against his predecessor Peter Ssenkungu, with both sides advancing conflicting claims over the ownership and custody of a key land title.
The dispute came into sharp focus during a meeting held last week at Solo Hytes Hotel, where district leaders met State Minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo. During the session, Muwuulya accused Ssenkungu of withholding the land title for a plot in Nkuke, arguing that this has stalled construction of the party’s district offices.
According to Muwuulya, the origins of the contested land date back roughly 15 years, when the then Masaka District Council reportedly allocated land to the NRM within Masaka Municipality.
He claims the property was later sold by party officials, with proceeds used to acquire the current plot in Nkuke. The title, he alleges, was entrusted to Ssenkungu, who at the time served both as District Land Board Chairperson and NRM District Chairperson, but has never been returned to the party.
“Even if we wanted to start construction now, we have nowhere to begin. Party headquarters requested the title to commence building, but Ssenkungu has refused to hand it over,” Muwuulya said.
Ssenkungu, however, has strongly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the NRM has never owned land in Masaka District. He challenged current leaders to present documentary proof of any allocation by the district council.
He insists the Nkuke land is his personal property, purchased with private funds. While he had initially intended to host the party headquarters on the site, he says strained relations with the current leadership forced him to reconsider.
“That land is mine, I bought it with my own money,” Ssenkungu said. “I intended to help the party, but instead of appreciation, I was met with insults. If they need land, they should mobilize resources and buy their own.”
The project itself was publicly launched on April 22 last year with considerable fanfare, during a ceremony presided over by Kampala NRM Chairman Salim Uhuru, representing the party’s Secretary-General.
Although construction works began shortly after, they later stalled following Ssenkungu’s defeat in the party primaries.
In an effort to defuse the impasse, Minister Kasolo advised the current district leadership to formally write to Ssenkungu requesting the title, and to copy the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and other relevant authorities to trigger a structured resolution process.
The outcome of the dispute could significantly impact the party’s organizational cohesion in Masaka, as well as its ability to establish a permanent operational base in the district.
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