Two men have been remanded to Kauga Government Prison after appearing before the Mukono Grade One Magistrate’s Court on multiple criminal charges arising from a protracted land dispute in Mukono District.
Boniface Kayongo, 36, a resident of Lugala in Kampala, and Hamuza Kisekka, 43, of Kiwedde, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Gerald Emwong on Tuesday and were charged with seven offences, including malicious damage to property, theft and forcible occupation of land.
The charges stem from alleged incidents that occurred between October and November 2025 on Kyaggwe Block 167, Plot 81 in Luwunga Village, land that is claimed by the estate of the late Joseph Kiwanuka.
The two suspects were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit following investigations into the disputed property. Authorities say the accused acted together with several accomplices who remain at large.
According to the prosecution, the suspects embarked on a campaign of destruction targeting crops and developments on the contested land. Court documents indicate that they allegedly destroyed banana plantations, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, maize, tomatoes, eucalyptus trees and other naturally growing trees belonging to Tooli Paul, Kiwanuka Moses and Kayongo Abbas.
Prosecutors further allege that the accused demolished three residential houses belonging to Stella Kiwanuka Bernadetta, the administrator of the estate of the late Joseph Kiwanuka.
The prosecution also accuses the pair of stealing four metallic water tanks valued at approximately Shs25 million and a water pumping machine worth about Shs10 million, bringing the total value of the allegedly stolen property to around Shs35 million.
In addition, the accused are charged with forcefully entering the disputed land alongside a group of people, grading the property and unlawfully taking possession despite allegedly knowing it belonged to the beneficiaries of the late Kiwanuka’s estate. They are also accused of remaining on the land under circumstances likely to cause a breach of the peace.
Senior State Attorney Christine Ayebare told court that investigations into the case had been completed but requested additional time to organise witnesses and prepare the matter for trial.
The defence applied for bail, arguing that the accused had already spent a considerable period in police custody and were entitled to temporary release pending trial.
Although Magistrate Emwong acknowledged that the offences are bailable under Ugandan law, he deferred the hearing of the bail application to July 22, 2026, and ordered that the accused remain on remand at Kauga Government Prison.
Before being led out of court, Kayongo denied the allegations and accused the State House Anti-Corruption Unit of falsely implicating him in the matter. He appealed to the court to independently examine the evidence, maintaining that the charges against him were baseless.
The case underscores the growing criminal dimension of land disputes in central Uganda, where ownership conflicts are increasingly resulting in allegations of violent evictions, destruction of property and criminal prosecution.
The matter will return to court on July 22, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and further directions on the commencement of the trial.
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