UGANDA, Mukono | Real Muloodi News | A longstanding and contentious land dispute in Mukono District has reached a critical juncture, prompting the intervention of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for a comprehensive investigation.
The dispute, known as the Mukono Land Dispute, revolves around conflicting claims between two families, the Late Musa Mwanje’s family and the Late John Lule Ssebakijja’s family, over land ownership in Kiyanja, Nakisunga Sub-county, Mukono District.
The estate spans 100 acres, with Mwanje’s family holding possession while Ssebakijja’s son, Fulgencio Ssembajjwe, seeks legal recourse to secure ownership.
The dispute has deepened tensions, exacerbated by conflicting allegiances, including reports of Resident District Commissioner Fatumah Ndisaba siding with Ssebakijja’s family.
Ssembajjwe asserts that his father purchased 20 acres from Mwanje but passed away before completing the transfer process, leading to a series of legal challenges.
In 2015, Ssembajjwe obtained an eviction court order from the Jinja High Court to reclaim the disputed 20 acres.
However, tensions escalated in December 2022 when Ssembajjwe, reportedly aided by a group led by Paddy Sserunjogi, initiated aggressive actions targeting not only the disputed 20 acres but the entire 100-acre estate owned by Mwanje’s family since 1960.
Mwanje’s family contested the eviction order, leading to a review by Justice Faridah Shamilah Bukirwa Ntambi, who ruled in Mwanje’s favour, ordering the repossession of his estate.
Dissatisfied with this outcome, Ssembajjwe sought intervention from the Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba.
However, during a meeting on February 14, 2024, Nabakooba discovered discrepancies in the reports submitted by various authorities involved in the dispute, leading her to refer the case to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for a fresh investigation.
The conflicting reports from the Mukono Division Police Commander and Brig. Moses Lukyamuzi, head of the Presidential Task Force on Land Matters and Environment, raised concerns about the integrity of the information provided.
The dispute traces back to 1994, predating Ssebakijja’s death, when he accused Mwanje of land grabbing.
Despite Mwanje’s successful defence in court, tensions have persisted, fueled by subsequent legal manoeuvres and conflicting claims.
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