Full press release
“CLARIFICATION ON MISINTERPRETATION OF MY DIRECTIVES DURING THE LOCUS VISIT MADE IN MUKONO DISTRICT ON 16TH May 2024
On 16th May 2024 along with a team from Mukono Land Office and Ministryof Lands, Housing and Urban Development I made four locus visits to Mukono District.
My letter dated on 9th May 2024 to the RDC Mukono District informed her of my Visit and directed her “To ensure that all stakeholders are present and put all necessary arrangement to make the locus visit a success”. During my visit I could not make it to the Kimwanyi locus due to time limitation.
The visits went in the following sequences;
(I) RDC OFFICE.
My first stop over was a call to the RDC’s office where I and my entourage held discussion with the DISO.
(Ii) MPOMA LOCUS-KYAGWE MUKONO.
At this locus, I was accompanied by my team from the land’s office and Mukono MZO. I was also joined by Mukono DISO. We were met by the local leadership. In addition we were joined by one of the petitioner Dr. Elizabeth Emuku, and the local population.
The issue for me to resolve was that Dr. Juventine Emuku and Dr. Elizabeth Emuku who are the proprietors of land known as Block 95 Plot 24 at Mpoma Kyaggwe, Mukono District had been denied occupancy of their land despite being in possession of court orders entitling them to being in quite enjoyment of their land.
I publicly reviewed their documents which included a vesting order, a
High Court Judgment, and another court order.
I directed that Dr. Juventine Emuku and Elizabeth Emuku take physical possession of their land and that the RDC and the District Security Committee provide them with necessary security for them to enjoy quite possession of their land.
(iii) ST LUKE’S CHURCH OF UGANDA KIRANGIRA GROUNDS, MUKONO MUNICIPALITY.
My next stop over was at St Luke’s Church Kirangira where an appeal had been made to me by one Kasango Godfrey alleging that Rev. Kityo Rogers in the name of the church had brought a grader and demolished his permanent house on the Kibanja he occupies. That he had recorded criminal charges against the Rev. Kityo under MKNCRV NO. 379/20224 namely Malicious damage, criminal trespass and forceful entry. However police had not helped him.
This land dispute had been brought to my office earlier by commissioner RDC secretariat Buganda Central Region Mr. Mbagadhi Frederick Nkayi vide his letter dated 9th September 2023 wherein he requested for my intervention.
There were other Bibanjja complainants with allegations or violation of their bibanja rights by the Rev. Kityo Rogers of St Luke’s Church Kirangira.
At the locus directed as follows;
(1) That the bibanja holder’s have constitutional guarantee to security of occupancy on the bibanja they occupy;
(2) That it is criminal offence to interfere with the quite enjoyment of the Kibanja holder of his Kibanja;
(3) That those who violet that right should be arrested and charged according to law;
(4). That Mr. Kasango , whose house Rev. Kityo allegedly destroyed and the other bibanja complaints whose house’s, plantations and crops had been destroyed to make way for construction of a church building without even a court order, should put together a single petition and submit it to me by Wednesday 22nd May 2024;
(5) That on receipt of that petition I would invite the Church of Uganda
Mukono Diosise for a dialogue with a view to arrive at a win win win
position;
(6) That in the meantime status
quo should be maintained but the
private armed guards posted at the locus by Rev. Kityo should be disarmed and removed;
(iv) NAKOOSI VILLAGE-NAKISUNGA SUB COUNTY
My next stop was at the Nakisuga Village locus.
The issue here involved a Mr. Stephen Bwete who had sold land belonging to the Bampadde family to a one Mr. Satya who bought well knowing that he was entering into a fraudulent transaction. That land at Nakoosi is known as Plot 150 Block 221 at Kakuba.
I directed that the transaction was fraudulent and that both Bwete and Satya should discuss with a view to a win win position with the Bampadde family. The discussion should be held over the next 30 days effectively the date of my Locus visit. Should the discussion end in failure, Mr. Bwete and Mr. Satya should vacate the property as they were trespasser’s
(v) LUGA NAMUKONKOMI ESTATE.
My next stop over was at Namukonkomi village where Mr. Semujju Henry and Namata Sylvia had in their capacity as the administrators of the estate of the late Kityo Omusumba had complained to my office that their title comprised in mailo register volume 16 Foilo 7 final certificate No. 8819, 8820, 8821, Block 256 Kyagwe land at Namukonkomi measuring approximately 780.11 acre’s had been cancelled by some individuals in the Mukono land office (MZO) who had created a freehold certificate of title over the same subject land. The subsequent freehold certificate of title is FRV 2 Foilo 20 Luga Namukonkomi village.
Regarding this matter I directed that in accordance with the registration titles Art section 48 on priority of titles, the first title in time is entitled to priority in accordance to date of registration.
(iv) KIMWANYI VILLAGE.
My last locus visit was supposed to be Kimwanyi village where the residents had petitioned me about being evicted from their bibanja and property destroyed be the alleged mailo owner.
However my Luga Namukonkomi village locus visit had ended at about 7:30 pm, it had gotten dark and it was not possible to make that visit.
I accordingly sent a message to the people who have gathered, regretting my inability to make the locus visit but promised them that I will make arrangements for another day.
CONCLUSION.
I have however received information that after I left Mukono, there were unlawful demonstration at St Luke’s church Kirangira, that there was chaos and that people’s gardens and farm’s have been invaded by unruly crowds claiming that I had ordered the destruction of the church building, the takeover of Bibanja holder’s from landlords.
My information is that people’s plantation have been occupied by stranger’s and that they are cutting and destroying people’s gardens, killing their animal’s and eating them on land whose locus I never visited and was never on my itinerary or meeting the parties regarding conflicts on that land.
I categorically deny that during my locus visit, I ever directed anybody to take the law in their own hands . The law must take it’s course against those behind the reported chaos and those involved.
Dr. Sam Mayanja.
Minister of State For Land’s.
This 20th day of May 2024”
