KCCA puts caveat on Bat Valley land
People gather at the contested land on Plot 2, Semiliki Walk Road, near Kisekka Market in Kampala last week. PHOTO / COURTESY
Kampala District Land Board has put a caveat on the contested Bat Valley land as it moves to preserve its status quo.
Daily Monitor has learnt that Ms Florence Namyalo, the registrar of titles, placed a caveat on the prime piece of land on September 6. The disputed land is on Plot 2, Semiliki Walk Road, near Kisekka Market in Kampala.
The land in contention originally belonged to Ms H. Damani, who claims to have a running lease of four years with Kampala District Land Board. She was thrown into a panic nearly a fortnight ago when unknown people came and fenced the land, claiming ownership.
Later, it emerged that businessman Ivan Byaruhanga was laying claim to the land. The same land has since been transferred to Buko Minerals and Oils Investment Ltd.
It is against this background that Ms Damani rushed to Kampala High Court to secure an interim order, stopping any activity on the contested land until the ownership dispute was resolved.
Despite issuing a caveat notice on the said land, Ms Namyalo has since defended the cancellation of the running lease for Ms Damani.
Ms Namyalo confirmed in her defence that the lease to the same contested land has since been granted to Mr Byaruhanga and later been transferred to Buko Minerals and Oils Investment Ltd.
“The 2nd respondent (commissioner for land registration) upon receiving instructions from the 1st respondent (Kampala District Land Registration), processed a title in favour of the 3rd respondent (Mr Byaruhanga) for land described as LRV KCCA 549 Folio 20, Plot 2 Semilik Walk, measuring approximately 0.3610 hectares, who in turn after validly obtaining the 1st respondent’s consent transferred the suit land to the 4th respondent (Buko Minerals and Oils Investment Ltd) prior to the filing of this application,” Ms Namyalo stated in her defence.
She further revealed that Ms Damani “had [at the time of filing this application] ceased to be the registered proprietor of the suit land having been duly terminated and cancelled by the 1st respondent and, therefore, the reliefs sought in the application are overtaken by the events.”
The matter is coming up today before the Kampala High Court for further directions.
