In Summary: The two minors, aged 16 and 14, were left homeless after relatives allegedly hired men to demolish their house while they slept and took control of their late father’s property. Following a court case supported by Redeem International, the three relatives were convicted, ordered to compensate the boys and vacate the contested land.
Manafwa, Uganda — Two brothers in Manafwa District have regained their home and four pieces of land belonging to their late father following a court victory against three relatives accused of violently evicting them and interfering with the deceased’s estate.
Fredrick Namukhuyu, 16, and Godfrey Walera, 14, sons of the late Bosco Wafula, recovered the property after Bubulo Chief Magistrate Esther Nalungi convicted their grandfather, Joseph Wafula, grandmother, Mary Mukite, and stepmother, Betty Namalome, over intermeddling with the deceased’s estate and domestic violence.
Prosecution evidence presented by State Attorney Abbey Lugada showed that the three convicts, residents of Bunangabo East Village in Kabutola Sub-county, allegedly hired men who demolished the brothers’ house on the night of March 15, 2026, while the children were asleep inside.
The demolition marked the climax of efforts to take control of property the brothers had inherited from their father, who died on May 12, 2025.
After the eviction, the relatives allegedly rented out the land to tenants who began farming on it, leaving the boys without a home and depriving them of property that supported their livelihood.
Namukhuyu described the incident as traumatic, saying they narrowly escaped being struck by falling debris when their house was demolished. “It was a horrible experience. We were asleep when they demolished our house. We narrowly survived being hit by the falling debris,” he said.
The brothers later reported the matter to their LC1 chairperson, George Nandele, prompting intervention by various stakeholders, including Police, the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) and Redeem International, an organisation supporting vulnerable orphans and widows.
The three relatives were arrested on July 7, 2026, and charged. Redeem International subsequently provided legal support to the brothers throughout the court proceedings.
In her judgment, Chief Magistrate Nalungi ordered each convict to pay the victims Shs200,000 in compensation within 30 days in relation to the offence of intermeddling with the deceased’s estate, or serve three months in prison in default.
The court also imposed one month of community service for the domestic violence offence, with a three-month prison term in default. It further ordered the convicts to vacate the brothers’ land immediately.
The ruling was welcomed by the brothers and their mother, Betty Nanyama, who thanked the authorities and activists for helping them secure justice.
The property, which includes a two-room commercial building, is their family’s main source of income and helps meet their basic needs and school requirements.
Robinah Namata and Margret Nandutu, legal officers at Redeem International, commended the magistrate for expediting the case, saying the timely conclusion had enabled the minors to reclaim their property.
They also recognised the cooperation of Manafwa District Police Commander Robert Tasobya and RDC Saleh Kamba, calling for continued collaboration to protect vulnerable children and widows from property grabbing.
“We appreciate the joint cooperation of DPC Robert Tasobya and RDC Saleh Kamba. We ask for continued collaboration to save other vulnerable orphans and widows whose property is being grabbed,” Namata said.
Namata attributed property disputes in the area partly to the high value of land, saying some people seek to take control of it in anticipation of government compensation during landslide-related resettlement programmes.
“The land here is highly valued because of its mountainous nature, and some people grab it hoping to get high compensation from the government when landslides occur and people are resettled,” Namata said.
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