Iganga, Uganda: Authorities in Iganga District together with Redeem International have launched a sensitisation campaign on succession law aimed at curbing rising cases of property grabbing targeting widows and orphans.
The campaign was officially launched at Nabitovu Village in Nambale Sub-county, where officials warned relatives, clan leaders and local authorities against illegally interfering with property belonging to deceased persons.
District leaders and legal activists stressed that widows and orphans remain the primary beneficiaries of a deceased person’s estate under Uganda’s succession laws.
Godfrey Ntale, the Iganga District Probation Officer, said his office continues to receive overwhelming complaints involving relatives and clan leaders unlawfully taking land and property from vulnerable families.
“Orphans and widows are the primary beneficiaries of the deceased property, but some relatives grab their property and chase widows away due to ignorance about the succession law,” Ntale said.
He encouraged parents to write wills to reduce family conflicts and ensure proper distribution of property after death.
Abraham Ekomoloit, the Officer in Charge of Nambaale Police Post, confirmed that police regularly receive complaints from widows whose in-laws take over land under the guise of safeguarding it for children.
“Perpetrators will be arrested and prosecuted in courts of law,” Ekomoloit warned, describing such acts as criminal trespass and unlawful intermeddling with a deceased person’s estate.
Legal officer Doreen Nandera explained that under succession law, orphans are entitled to 75 percent of the estate, widows receive 20 percent, dependants four percent and heirs one percent.
She cautioned that relatives, clan leaders and local officials who collude to dispossess widows and orphans risk criminal prosecution.
Meanwhile, Henry Anthony Wabwiire, the Community Liaison Officer for Redeem International, pledged continued support for vulnerable families facing intimidation and illegal evictions.
Wabwiire cited the case of Kalori Bikaba, who allegedly grabbed land belonging to his late brother Philpo Basoga for 15 years under claims that he was protecting it for the orphans.
According to Redeem International, the children eventually dropped out of school and resorted to sugarcane cutting after being denied access to the land.
Following legal intervention, Bikaba was sentenced to one month in prison by Namungalwe Court for intermeddling with a deceased estate and forceful entry before agreeing to return the land.
Some widows who attended the sensitisation meeting welcomed the initiative and described property grabbing as a growing challenge affecting women and children in rural communities.
Aisha Nalubanga said her late husband’s family had initially shared land fairly before relatives later chased them away.
Jauhala Nairuba said her family had struggled financially after being forced off land that previously supported them through farming and rental income.
Nambaale Vice Chairperson Zaituna Lukunse described the campaign as timely, saying ignorance of succession laws remains one of the major causes of property disputes in the area.
Uganda continues to face widespread cases of property grabbing involving widows and orphans, particularly in rural communities where cultural practices and limited legal awareness often leave vulnerable families exposed after the death of breadwinners.
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