Mbale Church of Uganda petitions Land Board over garage dispute

The Church of Uganda in Mbale City, under the Diocese of Mbale, has petitioned the chairman of the Mbale City Land Board, Mr Paul Wanyoto Mugoya, seeking government intervention to relocate a motor garage that has occupied church land for decades.

In a letter dated May 7, 2025, Rev Canon Eridad Milton Shissa, the Diocesan Secretary, expressed renewed concern over the garage’s continued presence on land belonging to St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the Diocesan headquarters.

“We are following up on the relocation of the garage from diocesan land. When the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, visited the Diocese in 2023, he pledged to intervene, but the matter remains unresolved,” the letter reads in part.

During the 2023 visit, church leaders, land board representatives, and Gen Kainerugaba discussed the long-standing dispute, which the Diocese says has stalled plans to develop the contested land.

In the petition, the church requested Mr Wanyoto to remind the CDF of his earlier pledge and to use his position to help expedite the relocation process.

“This issue has dragged on for years, despite efforts involving the State House,” Rev Shissa noted. “We hope for timely intervention to finally resolve it.”

The Diocese argues that moving the garage not only restores its property rights but would also help decongest Mbale’s city center by shifting the facility to the outskirts.

“This has been a long-standing inconvenience. Our prayer is that a permanent solution is reached,” the petition concludes.

Mr Wanyoto confirmed that plans to degazette part of Busamaga Forest, located in the suburbs of Mbale, to serve as an alternative site for the garage are already underway.

“The Bishop of Mbale Diocese, Rt Rev John Nandaah, gave me a letter to deliver to Gen. Kainerugaba, reminding him of his commitment,” Mr. Wanyoto said. “I can now confirm that the degazettement process is progressing. We hope all mechanics will have been relocated by the end of this year.”

According to Mr Wanyoto, more than 25,000 mechanics are expected to be moved from the contested site.

He added that the State House has taken interest in the matter and that a team recently met with his committee to follow up on the relocation process.

The Diocese insists that reclaiming the land is essential for long-overdue development at its headquarters and cathedral.

The renewed appeal comes amid increasing tensions over land use in Mbale, as religious, public, and private actors compete for limited urban space.

On Wednesday, during a visit to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Mr Balaam Barugahara, delivered a message from Gen Kainerugaba reaffirming his commitment to resolving the matter.

“The process of securing more than 50 acres in Busamaga Forest for relocation is already underway,” Mr Barugahara said. “Gen Kainerugaba remains committed to ensuring this issue is resolved once and for all.”

He added that President Museveni has been briefed on the issue and has directed the relevant ministries to act swiftly.

The church plans to construct a Jubilee House on the land adjacent to the cathedral. The site has been home to the garage since the early 1970s.