A woman checks out the features on her land title. Studying the features on a land title before engaging in a land transaction is one of the things a buyer can do to avoid being duped. PHOTO/FILE
The Lands ministry is set to cancel up to 321 land titles in Mpigi District reportedly issued without the consent of the original owners, a claim vehemently denied by those affected.
The pieces of land in question are located at Mawokota sitting on Block 175 and also at Kanyike, Gunda, Kaweri, Jabiro, Kataba and Butega, whose titles the ministry says were alleged to have been issued erroneously.
Ms Aisha Kabira, an employee of the ministry, writing on behalf of the commissioner for land registration, has, however, tasked the affected people to show cause as to why their titles should not be cancelled.
“This office received a complaint from the Administrators of Sebugulu Estate in respect of land comprised in Mawokota Block 175 (Mallo Register Volume 289 Folio 10) Land at Kanyike, Gunda, Kaweri, Jabiro, Kataba, and Butega requesting for cancellation of the above mentioned, certificates of title that were allegedly erroneously issued over their land on MRV 289 Folio 10, which was registered in the names of George Nelson Lusalidde a trustee of the late Sefirini Katende Sebugulu and that the transfer of the said land to successors of George Nelson Lusalidde was an error on the Register,” the notice in part reads.
Captain Francis Babu, the former Kampala Central lawmaker, who is one of those accused of erroneously obtaining a land title, has rubbished the claims by the Lands ministry.
“The estate they are talking about is Sebugulu estate. Sebugulu has got his estate, but not this one. This estate was given to his son Lusalide when he was alive. So that land belongs to Lusalide’s line. When he died, his daughters got those lines and these guys complaining are not the administrators of the land,” he told this publication yesterday.
The petitioners allege that the land in question belongs to the family of Lodoviko Wakulira, who was the registered owner of the land. They also allege that the creation of a special certificate of title for Mawokota Block 175 Plot 34 with an area of 2300 acres was erroneous since it did not reflect the mother title it was purporting to replace. They proceed to add that the said plot was already issued in the names of Lodoviko Wakulira.
While we were unable to track down the complainant to offer further details on the said land, Ms Kabira, in the notice dated May 31, 2024, said the complainants allege that they are in possession of the land and wonder how surveys are being done on the land without their knowledge.
“This is, therefore, to give you notice that this office shall proceed to entertain the claim that has been made by Administrators of the estate of the late Sefirini Katende Sebugulu and to request you to respond to the same within 21 days from the date of service on you hereof,” the notice says.
It added: “You are also invited for a public hearing in respect of this matter on the 2]7th day of June 2024 at 10am in my office where your objections, if any, will be heard. By copy of this notice, the complainants are informed and also required to attend the hearing with all the documents pertaining to this land.”
Some of the people who have been served with the notice to defend how they acquired the land titles in the contested land include Mr Keto Kayemba, the President of the Pan African Federation of Accountants; Captain Babu, Mr Lawrence Mulindwa, the proprietor of St Mary Boarding Secondary School Kitende, among others.
Captain Babu yesterday told this newspaper that he and others who bought the land from the area all acquired their land legally. He also said the people purporting to be the owners of the land have no claim to it, adding that they first went to the court where they were defeated and have now resorted to petitioning the Lands ministry without a valid basis.
“The reason why I’m furious with this is because it’s all lies. After all, even Mulindwa got the land from the father who got land in that block many years ago,” he said.
Cpt Babu said he bought his land in 2000 from the daughters of the late Lusalidde to whom the land was given by the late Lodoviko Wakulira
“They went to court and they were defeated because the court realised that they were not the administrators of the land. I also personally went to the administrator’s office and found out these people were not the administrators of the land,” he said.
He said, while it is true that the complainants own land in the area, their land doesn’t extend to the land they are claiming.
“They have been to court and they have been beaten three times...and I’m surprised the commissioner cannot check in his archive and see that each one of us bought that land officially,” he said.
Cpt Babu said: “The commissioner will be shamed because we shall go to his office and demand all our original documents showing that we genuinely bought the land. We have our documents intact and for me, I bought my land in 2000 from the two daughters of Sebugulu called Nabukalu and Nalule, but both are now deceased.”
We were unable to physically or remotely access other groups who have been accused.
Ms Dorcus Okalany, the Lands ministry permanent secretary (PS), yesterday declined to comment on how the ministry issued titles to other people when the land already had titles, issued by the same ministry.
PS Okalany, who said she was out of the office, referred us to the undersecretary who was also not available by press time.
Land wrangles are prevalent across all four corners of Uganda. Monthly, the High Court Land Division in Kampala registers on average about 35 cases. For example, since this year, the division has registered 161 in the last five months.
Some of the affected
• Kayemba SKM & Keto Kayemba P.O. Box 12146
• Cephas Birungi Kagyenda & Enock Barata T/A Kampala Birungi, Barata & Associates Legal & Tax Consultants
• Teddy Tebafluza P.O. Box 15216 Kampala
• Rashid Kakande P.O. Box 566 Kampala
• Harriet Muwanguzi P.O. Box 2942 Kampala
• George Byamukama & Ashley Komugisha
• Ssemaato Suliat PO.Box 29424 Kampala
• Benard Ssegujja P.O. Box 28456, Kampala
• Anderson Arnold Mujwiga P.O. Box 75032, Kampala
• Vincent Ssali P.O. Box 15032, Kampala
• Ssamula Zaverio P.O.Box 28456, Kampala
• Stella Nakiflo, Anderson Mulinde, Betty Namirembe
•Administrators of the estate of the late Nabakalu
• Hon. Captain E. Francis Babu P.O. Box 7270,
• Lawrence Mulindwa P.0. Box 30583, Kampala
. Robinah Namulema P. 0. Box 172,Mpigi
• Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited P 0. Box 7131, Kampala
