KAMPALA — A royal princess who is also a grandchild to the late Sir Daudi Chwa, has sued the reigning king of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II — accusing him of grabbing her father’s land.
The Kabaka Mutebi faces charges along with several others including Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Commissioner Land Registration, Joseph Ssempebwa, Prince Kassim Kakungulu Nakibinge, Ferikitansi Keziya Nabisenke and Princess Namukabya Nfamba.
According documents filed before the Land Division of the High Court in Kampala on September 9, Princess Edith Mpologoma contends that the land in question measuring 18 Sq miles and located in Munyonyo was privately owned by the colonialists who in turn gave it to her grandfather Sir Daudi Chwa.
She claims to be the beneficiary of this land, saying she is the daughter of Prince George William Mawanda Chwa, who was the son and heir of Sir Daudi Chwa, one of the kings of Buganda Kingdom.
“The plaintiff (Mpologoma) is a daughter and a direct beneficiary of the estate of the late princess George William Mawanda Chwa who was the son and the heir of the late His Highness Sir Daudi Chwa, the king of Buganda who died in 1939,” reads in part the court document.
“The whole of that land has never been the official mailo of the Buganda Kingdom, under the official Estates Act but as a private mailo property, under the registration of Titles Act, hence part of the estate of the late Sir Daudi Chwa, a fact that was ignored by both the 1st defendant (Kabaka) when it was claiming for the return of Buganda properties from government,” the court records further read.
Ms. Mpologoma explains that under the land office minute paper number2455 which she requested for in writing to no avail, the late Sir Daudi Chwa had given parts of the land from the final certificate to some individuals and that parcel was given to a one Yokana Kitunzi as private mailo.
She further states that many of those given such lands did not complete the exercise to have the land transferred from the cadastral to get white pages and eventual private mailo certificates of titles so the land reverted back to the estate of the late Sir Daudi Chwa still not as official estate mailo of the Kingdom but a private estate.
“Whereas the lands registry at Kampala fidgeted with plot 45 to erase its white enabling the Uganda Land Commission to convert the same land into different lease holdings as they appear on the back pages of the title which 3rd defendant gave to the Kabaka have since expired,” Ms Mpologoma explains .
Adding: “It was a mistake either by commission or omission by the Commissioner Land Registration while preparing and returning back land to the current Kabaka in 2013 to regard land comprised in Kyadondo block 255 plot 45 as a part of the confiscated lands of the kingdom,”
Through her lawyers of Guma & Co. Advocates, Ms Mpologoma is seeking a declaration that the current certificate of the title in respect of land comprised in Kyadondo block 255 plot 45 is defective and cancellation of all the entries in respect of land with the names of 4-7 defendants as surviving administrators of the estate of Late Prince Mawanda by the 3 defendant.
She’s also seeking a declaration that the distribution of the Late Mawanda’s estate was incomplete without taking account of the land in Munyonyo and the same should be included and distributed to her since she never received any property from her father’s estate, general and punitive damages, profits and costs of the suit.
