MPIGI— Lawyers representing businessman Moses Kazibwe in the disputed land comprised of Mawokota Block 369, Plot 1 measuring 372 acres in Bunjaako, Mpigi district have protested actions of Ministers Sam Mayanja and Milly Babalanda— accusing the duo of meddling in a land dispute that has been resolved by the courts.
According to the lawyers, Mr. Kazibwe purchased the land in question in 2014 and has all the necessary documents to prove ownership.
The matter is still before court and all the courts have ruled in favour of Mr. Kazibwe according to documents seen by this website.
“The ministers’ directives are tantamount to declaring that our client has no land. It’s a clear disregard for the courts and the rule of law,” Counsel Issa Ogomba, the Legal Attorney representing Mr. Kazibwe stated. “We believe in following the legal process, and we will not stand by while our client’s rightful property ownership is deprived.”
Kazibwe purchased the land in 2014, began farming, and illegal squatters initially occupied a portion of the land. However, their numbers grew, and they started destroying Kazibwe’s properties, according to lawyers.
Despite a court agreement granting them 10 acres, they now claim more land and have appealed a recent court decision that faulted them for trespassing.
“It’s illogical that my client would use the ministers’ names to acquire land in 2023, when he legally purchased the land in 2014,” Ogomba said. “My client has a reputation to uphold, and he will not let false claims tarnish his name.”
The ministers’ involvement has raised eyebrows, with Ogomba questioning their motives and the legality of their directives.
The High Court of Mpigi is set to hear the appeal, with Kazibwe’s legal team challenging the ministers’ decisions and seeking protection for their client’s rightful property ownership.
“We have filed an application in the High Court of Mpigi, challenging the ministers’ decisions. We trust that the court will uphold the rule of law and protect our client’s property rights,” Ogomba.
Kazibwe has since petitioned the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, and the State House Land Department to intervene in the matter.
“I am writing to bring to your attention a serious issue regarding my land on Bunjako Island, Mawokota. This land, which I have developed over the past seven years, includes a forest and a banana plantation and employs many Ugandan youths,” Kazibwe stated in his letter to Otafiire dated May 30, 2024.
“I urgently request your intervention to uphold the integrity of the court’s decision and prevent further illegal activities on my property. I have not evicted anyone from this land, as evidenced by the attached documents,” Kazibwe wrote to the State House Land Department in a separate letter dated May 29, 2024.
He claims that Mayanja has directed individuals to occupy his land despite the ongoing court case, constituting an abuse of court orders and undermining the respect for judicial processes in Uganda.
He has urged the government to intervene and ensure justice is served.
The businessman’s plea has ignited a heated debate on land ownership and the rule of law in Uganda.
The businessman has attached documents to his letters, including a consent judgment and a decree from the Magistrate’s Court of Buwama, which confirms his ownership of the land and the court’s order for the occupants to vacate the premises.
“The plaintiff (Kazibwe), being the owner of legal interest in land comprised of Mawokota Block 369, Plot 1, measuring 372 acres situate at Namaala, village. Bunjako, Buwama, Mpigi District agrees to surrender legal interest in his land measuring ten (10) acres to the defendants collectively which the latter (defendants) shall share in the mode and manner of their choice,” the consent judgment delivered on December , 21, 2022 reads.
