Museveni intervenes in Kiboga land row involving departed Asians

Kiboga, Uganda:– President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has stepped in to resolve a longstanding land dispute in Kiboga District involving a group of departed Asians and a local resident, Mr. Badiru Mwanje.

The contested land, located in Lwankonge village, Kiboga East, has been the subject of legal wrangling over double titling, premature eviction, and uncoordinated enforcement.

During a meeting with stakeholders, Presidential Advisor on Police Affairs, Ms. Susan Kasingye, briefed the President on the complexities of the dispute. She explained that Mr. Mwanje holds a mailo title dating back over 30 years, while a group of departed Asians, represented by Mr. Patrick Ainebyona, holds a freehold title from the 1930s.

Ms. Kasingye further detailed how Ainebyona recently initiated eviction proceedings against Mwanje without a court ruling or proper legal processes.

Brig. Lukyamuzi and his team moved in and occupied the land, effectively displacing Mwanje, even though there had been no boundary-opening exercise or final determination of ownership.

After gathering evidence from local leaders and residents, President Museveni ruled that Ainebyona and his group had no legal authority to carry out the eviction. He emphasized that land disputes should be resolved through the courts and the Ministry of Lands, not through forceful means.

“Even if I had not issued a directive on land evictions in 2022, the law is clear: only the courts decide the rightful owner of land. The Ministry of Lands can cancel a title if it was issued fraudulently, but both parties must be heard. Ainebyona and his group had no right to evict anyone,” Museveni stated.

Describing the actions of Ainebyona as an “attempt to usurp the powers of the state,” Museveni ordered for the immediate arrest of Patrick Ainebyona and all trespassers, restoration of Mwanje to the land until the legal process is concluded, and deployment of police officers to enforce law and order on the disputed land.

The President also directed an immediate investigation into the legality of the double titling by the Ministry of Lands and the judiciary.

Nabakooba Confirms Title Discrepancies

The Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Hon. Judith Nabakooba, provided an official account of the land records, confirming that the 640-acre land, known as Kisina Estate, was originally registered in 1932 under Chikamchadi Shaar Limited, with a freehold title. The group later secured a certificate of repossession in 1992.

At the same time, records indicate that a separate title was issued in 1989 to Peresika Nakayenga, which was later transferred to Mwanje in 1999. However, the Minister noted that Mwanje’s title appears “hanging in the system” with no clear link to the original land parcel, prompting the need for further investigation.

“Your Excellency, the system records both the Indian claim and Mwanje’s title. However, the eviction was executed outside the law, as per your 2022 directive,” Nabakooba said.

However, in a shocking revelation at the meeting, Kiboga East MP, Hon. Keefa Kiwanuka, informed the President that Ainebyona physically assaulted him during the eviction and even attempted to force him to undress before realizing he was the area legislator.

The LC1 Chairperson of Lwankonge, Mr. Ham Kizza, thanked President Museveni for his intervention, stating that local leaders had tried to mediate the conflict for years without success.