Muhakanizi rightfully aqcquired Lyantonde land - lawyers

Lawyers of the deceased Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Keith Muhakanizi, have dismissed as baseless reports that their client fraudulently acquired the piece of land housing his country home at Lulerema Village, Lyantonde District.
It is on this same piece of land that the deceased is expected to be buried.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kampala Associated Advocates says although Mr Geofrey Bwambizo was the registered proprietor of the disputed piece of land located on Kabula Block 64 Plot 20, at Lulerema, he issued a power of attorney to M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited allowing it to mortgage the land to the defunct Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) pursuant to a loan agreement.
“A mortgage was registered on the title under Instrument No. MSK70440 dated 13th March, 1989. M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited failed to honour its loan obligations under the loan agreement and had an unpaid balance of UGX. 48,021,666 as of March 30,1992,” the statement reads in part
Muhakanizi’s lawyers further explain that upon the acquisition of UCB by Stanbic Bank (U) Ltd and consequent upon the failure to service the said loan, it was classified as a non-performing asset and transferred to the Non-Performing Assets Recovery Trust (NPART).
“Through various letters to Mr Bwambizo and M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited, NPART notified them that the loan had been transferred to NPART and all subsequent payments were supposed to be made to NPART. Mr Bwambizo and M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited refused or failed to honour their obligations to NPART, prompting NPART to exercise its power of sale of the mortgaged property under the law,” the statement further reads.
The lawyers say Muhakanizi bought the land through an auction on September 23, 1996.
“The late Mr Muhakanizi immediately took possession of the land around October 1, 1996 and transfer forms were executed in his favour by NPART on January 6, 2000,” the lawyers explain
Muhakanizi passed on last Thursday in Milan, Italy, where he had been flown for specialised treatment.
Read full Press statement below
PRESS STATEMENT: RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST THE LATE MR KEITH MUHAKANIZI BY GEOFREY BWAMBIZO
We act for and on behalf of the family of the late Keith Muhakanizi under whose instructions we wish to respond to the allegations raised by a one Geofrey Bwambizo, as here below;
Reference is made to a video circulating on various social media in which Mr Geofrey Bwambizo makes egregious allegations against the late Mr Keith Muhakanizi, the former Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. The allegations are in respect of property comprised in Kabula Block 64 Plot 20 land at Lulerema and Kasambya in Lyantonde District, which Mr Bwambizo maliciously and falsely claims was stolen from him by the late Mr Muhakanizi.
As the lawyers who represented the late Mr Keith Muhakanizi in a suit brought against him by Mr Bwambizo over that same piece of land, we wish to dispel the blatant, baseless and malicious lies deliberately being peddled by Mr Bwambizo against the deceased.
Background
Mr Geofrey Bwambizo was the registered proprietor of the land comprised in Kabula Block 64 Plot 20, located at Lulerema and Kasambya in Lyantonde District from 1986. 
Mr Bwambizo issued a Power of Attorney to M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited allowing it to mortgage the land to Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) pursuant to a loan agreement. A mortgage was registered on the title under Instrument No. MSK70440 dated 13th March, 1989.
M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited failed to honour it’s loan obligations under the loan agreement and had an unpaid balance of UGX. 48,021,666 as at 30th March 1992.
Upon the acquisition of UCB by Stanbic Bank (U) Ltd and consequent upon the failure to service the said loan, this loan was classified as a non-performing asset and transferred to the Non-Performing Assets Recovery Trust (NPART). NPART had earlier been formed by an Act of Parliament to expedite the recovery of certain loans issued by UCB and whose recovery was overdue.
Through various letters to Mr Bwambizo and M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited, NPART notified them that the loan had been transferred to NPART and all subsequent payments were supposed to be made to NPART. Mr Bwambizo and M/S Kasambya Farm Estates Limited refused or failed to honour their obligations to NPART, prompting NPART to exercise its power of sale of the mortgaged property, under the law.
Subsequent to the failure and/or refusal of Mr. Bwambizo and Kasambya Farm Estates Limited to settle their indebtedness, NPART issued a notice in the New Vision newspaper of 23rd July 1996 notifying them, among other owners of the advertised properties, of the impending sale by way of auction.
Mr Muhakanizi bought the land through the said auction on 23rd September 1996. This sale was confirmed by NPART vide a Sale of Assets Form dated 28th September 1996.
The late Mr Muhakanizi immediately took possession of the land around 1st October 1996 and transfer forms were executed in his favour by NPART on 6th January 2000. From that time, Mr Muhakanizi enjoyed quiet possession for over 15 years until 2015 when Mr Bwambizo sued him in the High Court, claiming to be the owner of the land.
 The Suit & Cancellation of Bwambizo’s Title
Around May 2015, Mr Muhakanizi found out that Mr Bwambizo had illegally obtained a Special Certificate of Title to his (Mr Muhakanizi’s) land. Mr  Bwambizo had stealthily removed the caveat which had been put on the Title by UCB, Stanbic Bank’s predecessors in title. Consequently, he had also registered a caveat on Mr Muhakanizi’s land.
When Mr Muhakanizi became aware of this fraud, he legally protested against the issuance of the Special Certificate of Title and removal of the caveat. Stanbic Bank, by a letter dated 6th August 2015, notified the Commissioner, Land Registration to withdraw the special certificate of title which had been fraudulently procured by Mr Bwambizo.
On 18th September 2015, the Commissioner Land Registration notified Mr Bwambizo’s lawyers of her plan to cancel the special certificate of title as well as the release of mortgage. She invited them for a public hearing on the matter. The public hearing was conducted and all investigations concluded. Mr Bwambizo was found to have fraudulently procured the special certificate of title.
On 16th October 2015, the Commissioner Land Registration, wrote to Mr Bwambizo, through his lawyers, informing him of the decision to cancel the special certificate of title on Mr Muhakanizi’s land because the same had been issued in error.
On 14th October 2015, Mr Geofrey Bwambizo sued Mr Keith Muhakanizi and the Commissioner Land Registration under Civil Suit No. 75 of 2015, in the High Court. The suit was determined in Mr Muhakanizi’s favour and it was dismissed on 23rd February 2018. All the injunction  applications made by Mr Bwambizo that were intended to stop Mr Muhakanizi from possessing and developing the land were also dismissed by the High Court because they lacked merit.
 Current Status of Kabula Block 64 Plot 20 Land at Lulerema & Kasambya In Lyantonde District.
For close to three decades, Mr Muhakanizi’s occupation of the land has been peaceful and since the dismissal of the suit in 2018, he has been enjoying quiet possession of his land. His title and possession are not under any legal challenge whatsoever. Both in law and in fact, this land now belongs to his estate as the lawful owners thereof, and their title is unimpeachable. His family are entitled to use the land for any lawful activity, without any hinderance from Bwambizo or any other person.
Conclusion.
Mr Bwambizo’s actions and claims are not only baseless, malicious and unfounded ,but the same are also unfortunate, insensitive, callous and thoughtless. The video circulating on social media is an attempt to discredit a man that has done nothing apart from diligently serving this country and living an honest life. By launching his baseless attacks now, Mr Bwambizo has timed a period when the deceased’s family is in mourning which goes against the African spirit of ‘’Ubuntu’’.
The Public should dismiss the false allegations made by Mr Bwambizo with the contempt they deserve.
May Mr Muhakanizi’s soul rest in eternal peace.
 KAMPALA ASSOCIATED ADVOCATES
 Consider it Solved