Kaazi land row takes new twist

The Kabaka of Buganda Kingdom Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has instructed his legal team to sue State Minister Lands Sam Mayanja, for allegedly disregarding court rulings on the disputed piece of land comprised in Kyadondo Block 275, Plot 5 at Kaazi, Busabala, Wakiso District. Early last week , Minister Mayanja released a report indicating that the land at Kaazi was erroneously registered in the name of Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II and directed the commissioner of Land Registration to correct the register and revert the disputed land into the name of administrators of the estate of late Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II .

He also instructed that Prince David Mawanda Namugala Chwa be allocated 20 acres in his personal capacity as the rightful administrator of the estate.

“The principle remains that the 20 acres imitated of 120 acres and given to the heir of late Daudi Chwa II and I direct that the commissioner of Land Registration corrects the register and restore the 16 square miles as stated in Kabaka Edward Muteesa’s Will ,” he stated. However, Buganda Kingdom’s Attorney General Christopher Bwanika, while addressing journalists at Bulange-Mengo, condemned the minister’s actions as contempt of court and a disregard for the law.

He warned that the kabaka’s legal team of K&K Advocates had already been instructed to file a lawsuit against Mr Mayanja . “The Kingdom of Buganda has instructed its external lawyers to take legal action to challenge Minister Mayanja’s statements and actions, particularly those made on March 4, 2025, at Kaazi,” Mr Bwanika said.

He further explained that the disputed land has a long and complicated history. According to Bwanika, the land at Kaazi is part of the 350 square miles allocated to the Kabaka of Buganda under the 1900 Buganda Agreement and the title was first created in 1923. The land was registered under the official capacity of the then-Kabaka, His Highness Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II, and has since beepassed down through successive kings of Buganda .

He clarified that while His Royal Highness Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II received the land from the British colonialists under the 1900 agreement, he did not own it personally but held it as the King of Buganda. “It is essential to note that Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II did not own the Kaazi land in his personal capacity.

 He held it in his official capacity as Kabaka. This land was subsequently passed on to Ssekabaka Edward Muteesa (in his official capacity) and is now held by Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II (in his official capacity),” he explained.

How Kaazi became scouts land

Mr Bwanika recounted that in 1948, Kabaka Edward Muteesa II leased the land to the Uganda Scouts Association for 49 years for scouting and camping purposes. However, after the abolition of kingdoms in 1967, the central government confiscated the land and placed it under the Uganda Land Commission. In 1993, the land was officially returned to the Kabaka through the Traditional Rulers (Restitution of Assets and Properties) Act.

The Buganda Land Board (BLB) now manages the land on behalf of the kingdom. “Both the Uganda Land Commission and the Scouts Association acted unlawfully by creating unauthorised subleases without the consent of the Kabaka.

The Kabaka successfully petitioned the Commissioner of Land Registration, who subsequently cancelled the illegal lease titles,” he explained The kingdom Attorney General said the Kabaka further solidified his ownership of the land by winning a legal battle against Prince Kalemeera and others in a landmark ruling in 2020, which confirmed that the complainants had falsely claimed ownership of the land.

“As confirmed by the court, it is an undisputed fact that the land rightfully belongs to the Kabaka,” Mr Bwanika emphasised, adding: “We urge the public to disregard any misleading claims suggesting that the land does not belong to the Kabaka.” Buganda Land Board spokesperson Denis Bugaya questioned Minister Mayanja’s abilities to interpret court documents.

“For the first time in modern Buganda Kingdom history, we are taking Mr Sam Mayanja to court in his individual capacity. We are confident that we have a strong case against him for abuse of office and for issuing illegal directives to his junior officers,” he said. Efforts to obtain a comment from Minister Mayanja were unsuccessful, as his known telephone number was unreachable.

BACKGROUND

This is not the first dispute over the ownership of the Kaazi land. Last year, part of the land was illegally subdivided and land titles were forged, but they were later nullified by the Acting Commissioner of Land Registration , Mr Baker Mugaino. In 2020, the Kabaka won a court case against Prince Kalemeera and others who had falsely claimed ownership of the same piece of land.

Last October, Kabaka (king) of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II made an impromptu visit to Kaazi and emphasised that the land belongs to the kingdom. He advised individuals interested in occupying Kabaka’s land to approach the BLB to obtain the proper clearance.