UGANDA, Kayunga | Real Muloodi News | Kayunga District’s authorities have defended a family as the true owners of a 49-acre plot in the town council that Buganda Kingdom is claiming as its own.
The Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital, Buganda Sub-County Administration, and District Town Council buildings are all located on the property.
According to Mr Peter Mawerere, the deputy resident district commissioner (RDC), the disputed land is part of the estate of the late Malaki Kalya Nsibirwa.
In a letter Mr Mawerere wrote to the RDC in June, the deputy’s original position was that the land was given to Buganda in a land-swap transaction.
“A close scrutiny of the entries appearing in the records indicate that 49 acres were transferred from the estate of Malaki Kalya Nsibirwa to Mumyuka of Bugerere in exchange for an equal area off [the latter’s] land at Bbaale,” Mr Mawerere’s June letter reads in part.
However, after investigations by the district security committee, Mr Mawerere, clarified in a letter dated August 23 to Mr Christopher Bwanika, the attorney general of the Buganda Kingdom, that the investigations confirmed that the land does in fact still belong to the late Kalya’s family.
“In the circumstances the district land surveyor’s report is valid and to the best of my knowledge contains no errors, misrepresentations and or omissions,” his August letter reads in part.
Other Claimants
Brig James Kinaalwa, an army official, is also establishing a commercial structure on this site, despite opposition from Kalya’s family, who allege he is unlawfully occupying it because they did not sell it to him.
“This is our land and we have documents to prove ownership,” Mr Musa Wamala, a family member, said on Monday.
Last year, the Mukono High Court deputy registrar, Ms Mary Ikit, issued an interim order blocking Brig Kinaalwa from erecting the building or carrying out any other activity on the land. However the army officer did not take heed.
Instead, Brig. Kinaalwa asserts that the land was sold to him by the Buganda Land Board for USh35 million, and Mr Denis Bugaya, the board’s legal counsel and spokesperson, confirms the transaction.
Since then, Kalya’s family has been selling plots on the disputed site to developers, who, according to the town clerk, Ms Faridah Kulabako, plan to pay the family for inhabiting it.
However, the Kabaka’s representative in Kayunga Sub-county, Ms Margaret Ssempala, said on Tuesday that those who have been purchasing land from the family have done so unlawfully.
“I have filed cases of criminal trespass and malicious damage to property to police by those occupying our land and cutting down trees,” Ms Ssempala said.
On September 3rd, police officers were called to intervene in the dispute, preventing UPDF soldiers assigned to Brig Kinaalwa from beating up temporary labourers in the land next to the disputed one.
However Brig Kinaalwa claims he had only deployed the soldiers to prevent injury, since the labourers were standing close a tree that was being cut down.
Buganda officials recently removed signposts Kalya’s family had placed at the disputed land. Kalya’s family also wrote to Brig Kinaalwa requesting that he leave, but received no reply.
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