Mubende District cancels Pastor Kakande’s land title

Mubende.

Mubende District land board has reversed its earlier decision to give away 26 square miles of land to Pastor Samuel Kakande.
Pastor Kakande, who heads Synagogue Church of All Nations in Kampala, had plans to use the land to extend his rice scheme in the area.
However, Ms Mary Jesca Nankabirwa, the secretary Mubende District Land Board, said they rescinded their decision after learning that the land giveaway was marred by gross irregularities.
“ … the resolution to recall the said minutes is premised on the complaint from residents of Manyogaseka and Kijjomanyi who are the customary occupants of the above land through their lawyers Ms Nabukenya, Mulalira & Co. Advocates,” Nankabirwa’s January 22 letter reads in part.
“The evidence is of the members of the former Kiganda area land committee that is alleged to have recommended the files, the evidence of alleged neighbours and witnesses on the files denied ever having handled or participated in any deliberations concerning the said files,” Nankabirwa’s letter adds.
The disputed land has 10,000 sitting tenants spread in 56 villages in Manyogaseka and Kiganda sub-counties.
The district had issued two copies of freehold land titles to Pastor Kakande. One of the titles is in the names of Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited where Pastor Kakande is the biggest shareholder. Other shareholders are Mr Jonathan Byabasaija, Ms Joy Male, Mr Jonson Mwanguzi and Ms Eva Nakatudde. Mechanised Agro Uganda Limited was allocated 13 square miles on Block 436, Plot 33 in Ndeeba Village, Kiganda Sub-county.
The second title is in the names of Pride Chick Uganda Ltd where Pastor Kakande and his secretary, Ms Noeline Ndagire, are shareholders.
The land, measuring 13 square miles, is on Block 436, Plot 34, in Lwakabuutu Village, Singo. Both titles were issued on August 4, 2016.
After detecting the anomalies, Pastor Kakande, through his lawyers Bakara Legal Associated Advocates, has since unconditionally surrendered the duplicate certificates of title to the district land board for cancellation.
In a January 16 letter, Pastor Kakande’s lawyers said though their client was the registered proprietor of the disputed land, they had discovered that the sitting tenants’ claim has merit. “Therefore, our clients have taken a decision to forward the said two duplicate certificates of title to you [Mubende District Land Board] unconditionally for cancellation. Kindly acknowledge receipt thereof in writing,” Mr Julius Mukholi Wamukota, one of Pastor Kakande’s lawyers, wrote.
Consequently, the district leaders have also petitioned the commissioner land registration in the ministry of Lands to cancel the land titles.
“This is to notify you of the board’s recommendation to have the above mentioned certificates of title canceled and hereby submit the duplicate certificates of title for cancelation,” Ms Nankabirwa said in a January 22 letter.
Pastor Kakande already owns rice schemes in Kibaale, Masindi and Masaka districts. However, he was recently faulted by the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Commission of Inquiry into land matters for destroying wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria in Masaka.

Complaints
In Mubende, the sitting tenants had earlier complained that they were not given first priority as stipulated in the law to buy the land and develop it.
They claimed that the district officials frustrated all their efforts to regularise their tenancy on the land, claiming that it is a forest reserve.
Mr Jotham Tandeka, the Manyogaseka Sub-county chairperson, commended the district land board for taking the decision.
“It has been a struggle to reach this far, we thank the district officials for realising their mistake and accepting to correct it,” he said during an interview at the weekend.
Mr Simeo Nsubuga, the Kasanda South MP, vowed to fight on until the certificate of title, which had been given to Pastor Kakande, is cancelled by the ministry of Lands.