New twist as Wakiso land row goes to court
Some of the affected locals attend a meeting in Busamba Village, Wakiso District, on December 20, 2022. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- According to the court documents that this publication has seen, five family members with the support of more than 1,000 distressed bibanja holders, who since last December, have lived under the shadow of a looming eviction, have sued the alleged administrators of the estate of the late Gabudyeri Lubajja.
The family that has been embroiled in a bitter land conflict in Namayumba Sub-county, Wakiso District has now taken the battle to court.
The prime land, on Busiro Block 53 Plot 15, measures 1,044.9 acres.
According to the court documents that this publication has seen, five family members with the support of more than 1,000 distressed bibanja holders, who since last December, have lived under the shadow of a looming eviction, have sued the alleged administrators of the estate of the late Gabudyeri Lubajja.
The documents indicate that the alleged administrators in question are, a one Richard Ssemitala and Eusterius Ssegantebuka had without family consent sold part of the family land (150 acres) to a one Berna Nakato, a land dealer in Busamba, Namayumba Sub-country.
The case file No 8 of 2023, filed in the Family Division of the High Court in Makindye is before the Court’s registrar Ms Susan Okeny, while the main case concerning the disputed Busamba land is before the Head of Family Division, Justice Ketrah Katenguka.
All parties are expected to appear before the registrar on March 14 “on the hearing of an application for directions in this action that, the suit be fixed before the honourable trial judge for scheduling conference within 45 days from the date of issuance of summons for directions,” a court statement read in part.
Mr Mathias Mulumba Ssegantebuka, another grandchild in the family of the late Lubajja, and an acting administrator of the land in Busamba, said they are in the process of obtaining an interim order to halt transactions and any dealings on the disputed land until the main case is concluded.
The late Lubajja’s estate has been at the centre of a family land conflict since last year, when private land dealers allegedly embarked on demarcating land on orders of some people claiming to be among the administrators of the land, putting about 1,000 bibanja holders at risk of being evicted.
The villages affected by this land dispute include, Busamba, Gayaza, Kanziro among others. On December 20, 2022, officials from Wakiso District and Ministry of Lands held a meeting with the two families and bibanja holders. During the meeting the Lands minister, Ms Judith Nabakooba, halted all activities on the disputed land.
However, the area Member of Parliament (Busiro North), Mr Paul Nsubuga said residents have told him that surveyors have continued to survey the land despite Ms Nabakooba’s directive.
“Of course I’m against any illegal activities that make my voters suffer. I will go there and confirm whether what I was told is true,” he said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Meanwhile, locals said Ms Nakato has acquired a title for plot 388 in Busamba Busiro.
“Reference is made to your request of search. This is to inform you that the following entries appear on the Titles resister as follows. Title, Land at Busamba Busiro Block 53, area; 60.8680 hectares, owners,Berna Nakato, registered on the 12th day of January 2023 at 4:48 PM under instrument number NO.WBU-00347301,” the statement of search stated.
Ms Nakato was not available to explain how she acquired the new title.
But sources said Ms Nabakooba and State House lands office are investigating officials in Wakiso who allegedly assisted Ms Nakato to acquire a new land title on the Busamba land despite a ministerial directive banning any transaction on the family land.
The President is expected in Namayumba at the weekend to handle the matter.
