Four Luweero minors battle trespass charges over land bought by father 

Four schoolchildren, all under the age of 18, are battling trespass charges in Luweero High Court over land bought by their father.
The minors; aged 17, 15, 12, and 10, are caught in a land dispute that has repeatedly disrupted their education and subjected them to the trauma of court proceedings alongside adults.
 
According to their father, Mr Ronald Wasswa, the children have been forced to appear in court more than seven times, missing valuable school days to defend themselves in a case they barely understand. 
“I have to pull my children out of school every time we have a court session. It’s taking a toll on their education, but I have no choice,” said Mr Wasswa.
 
"We have to ask for a pass-out from school each time we are summoned to court. The court processes take the entire day, meaning we miss lessons and fall behind in our studies,” the 17-year-old boy narrated.
 
The case stems from a land transaction that Wasswa legally completed in August 2020. He purchased one-acre piece of land in Busula B village, Katikamu sub-county, Luweero District, for Shs24 million from Methuselah Ssebaggala and registered it in the names of his children and wife.
 
Before purchasing the disputed piece of land, Wasswa conducted a search at Bukalasa Land Office, which confirmed that Ssebaggala was the rightful owner. The land, listed under Ssebaggala Methusela, had been registered on May 27, 2009, and by the time of purchase, it had no encumbrances.
"I now wonder how, three years later, other people can come out and claim ownership of this land," Mr Wasswa said.
 
Despite this, in 2023, Mr Wasswa and his family were served with court papers accusing them of trespassing on the piece of land they had bought.
 
The plaintiffs; Mr Kigozi Mukasa, Mr Freddy Ntege Lubwama, Mr Lubwama Enock Richard, and Ms Nabakka Alice (Administrators of the Estate of the Late James Walusimbi Sajjabi), claim that Mr Wasswa and others illegally occupied land comprised in Bulemeezi Block 140, Plot 80 and several other disputed plots.
 
The case took a disturbing turn when Mr Wasswa’s children were jointly charged with 20 adults, allegedly involved in buying illegal plots on the contested land.
The Children Act of Uganda explicitly states that minors under the age of 18 should not be prosecuted alongside adults, yet Mr Wasswa’s children find themselves sitting in a courtroom meant for grownups accused of land grabbing.
 
Mr Wasswa, who has now reportedly exhausted his financial resources fighting for justice, is making an emotional plea to the government. 
"I am appealing to the Minister for Lands, including Judith Nabakooba, Sam Manyanja, and Prime Minister Nabbanja, to intervene and save my children from this psychological torture. They are children, yet they are dragged to court as if they are criminals. Every time they come to court, they miss school, and their future is at stake," he said.
 
Beyond the psychological trauma and academic disruption, Wasswa says the repeated court sessions have drained his family’s resources. "Every time we go to court, it costs money; money that should have been used for school fees, books, and a better life for these children."
 
The case has been adjourned multiple times, and the next hearing is scheduled for May 8. Until then, Wasswa’s children live in uncertainty, knowing that at any moment, they may be summoned again—away from school, away from their childhood, and into a courtroom that does not recognize their innocence.
 
For now, they remain trapped in a legal nightmare, hoping that justice will finally prevail.