Court clears Sembabule leaders to utilise disputed Buganda Kingdom land
Construction works on the disputed piece of land at Mijwala Sub County headquarters in Sembabule Town Council which is being claimed by Buganda Kingdom. PHOTO | ISSA ALIGA
What you need to know:
- Records before court indicate that Ms Kawooya and other respondents trespassed on the Buganda Kingdom land without any written consent from Buganda Land Board, which manages the kingdom estate.
Masaka High Court has dismissed an application seeking an injunction to restrain seven individuals in Sembabule District, from utilising a disputed piece of land in the area, which reportedly belongs to Buganda Kingdom.
Buganda Kingdom dragged State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, Ms Anifah Kawooya and six other local leaders in Sembabule District to Court seeking to halt the development of land on Block 83, Plots 260 and 196, at Kabosa / Byekisa Village, pending hearing and determination of the main application.
Records before court indicate that Ms Kawooya and other respondents trespassed on the Buganda Kingdom land without any written consent from Buganda Land Board, which manages the kingdom estate.
Minister Kawooya’s co-accused are Benon Kutesa Burora, Samuel Mushabe, Elly Muhumuza, Alfred Mbasa Nabasa, Sembabule District Land Board and the Commissioner of Land Registration.
Deputy registrar, Mr Julius Burore, while presiding over the hearing on Wednesday, said the respondents are free to use the land since they possess land titles as court moves to establish how they acquired these titles in the main suit, thus dismissing the application.
The registrar, while adjourning the matter to May 16, when the hearing of the main suit is expected to kick off, assured both parties that the case would be expeditiously handled so that justice prevails.
Court heard that the group has land titles over the disputed piece of land, which they reportedly acquired from Sembabule District land board.
The Kabaka’s chief in Mawogola County, Mr Muhammad Sserwadda, said they have all evidence to prove to court that the disputed piece of land belongs to the Buganda kingdom.
By the time the matter was taken to court, Ms Kawooya had started constructing a nursing school on the disputed land while her co-accused were planning to put forward different projects. On the same Block 83, there is Sembabule Town Council headquarters, Sembabule Police Station, Magistrates Court, National Resistance Movement (NRM) party district offices and individuals who acquired freehold titles.
