Budo rightful owner of land in question, says minister

The junior minister for Lands has ended a 10-year land dispute between King’s College Budo and Mr Samuel Sunday Kigemuzi’s family after declaring the former the rightful owner of the disputed property.

While declaring King’s College Budo as the registered trustee of the disputed land in Nsangi, Wakiso District on Tuesday, Mr Sam Mayanja, the state minister for Lands, said the claimants of the said land failed to provide satisfying proof of ownership.

The school holds a certificate of title on the contested land which was issued to its trustees by the government on November 7, 1990.

Mr Kigemuzi, who was arrested yesterday for trespass on the land, told Monitor that they hold the rightful documents on the land, after having successfully secured legal ownership from the administrator general and Buganda Land Board.

During the meeting that was attended by members of both parties [King’s College Budo and Mr Kigemuzi’s family] at the disputed land, Mr Mayanja, after listening to the submissions of both sides reasoned that Mr Kigemuzi’s family lacked the physical presence of assets to back up their verbal claims.

“For someone to claim the rightful ownership of the property, there must be the physical presence of the infrastructures such as a house, crop farms, or at least a pit-latrine,” Mr Mayanja said.

“I am here to represent the President and my decision is final, don’t expect any other order from above. Therefore, I want to declare that this land is for the registered trustees of King’s College Buddo who own its valid title,” he added.

Mr Mayanja’s directive comes amid reports that the contested land was already sold by Mr Kigemuzi to Syptech Properties Ltd at Shs220 million in 2013. The five-acre piece of land that has been under contention for the last 10 years is located at plots 18 and 19 in Nsangi Sub-county, Wakiso District. 

Mr John Fred Kazibwe, the school’s head teacher, refuted allegations that the institution illegally took over Mr Kigemuzi’s land saying the land in question has been the school farm for decades without disputes until 2013.

Mr Micheal Kintu, a lawyer representing the Kigemuzi’s family, said he will pursue the case at the High Court Land Division in Kampala.

Other directives 
   
All recognised land tenants on the school land should be registered and protected.  

The RDC of Wakiso must provide security to King’s College Budo. The school is free to construct a perimeter wall to mark the boundaries of this land. All those illegally found on this land should be arrested for trespass.