By Hannah Marion Namukasa
Witness testimony in a criminal case involving city dentist Dr Lule Ntwatwa has raised questions about his claim of ownership over a disputed piece of land in Katanga Valley near Wandegeya.
Dr Ntwatwa is facing charges of forgery and uttering false documents in connection with an alleged Kibanja interest on the disputed land.
Testifying before court, city lawyer Eunice Ainembabazi, who has more than 10 years of legal practice, said that in 2015 Dr Ntwatwa entered into a tenancy agreement with her client, Johnson Kamugisha, based on descriptions contained in a land title that had already been cancelled by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
“I was aware that the land title had been cancelled, but my client was only interested in establishing a restaurant,” Ainembabazi told the court.
During cross-examination, State Prosecutor Allan Mucunguzi questioned Ainembabazi about the tenancy agreement, suggesting it had been executed over land whose title had already been cancelled. He further asked whether she had verified Dr Ntwatwa’s ownership claim, the size of the land, and whether the land in question existed.
city lawyer Eunice Ainembabazi,
In response, Ainembabazi said her client had conducted due diligence but acknowledged that she could not state the size of the land or confirm its existence.
She also testified that Dr Ntwatwa was represented during the signing of the tenancy agreement by Stuart Kateregga, who is a co-accused in the case.
Dr Ntwatwa and Kateregga are jointly charged alongside local council leader Wasswa Ntoogo.
Another defence witness, Masembe Mukasa, testified that Dr Ntwatwa had rented part of his family’s land in 1990 rather than owning it.
“We made an agreement to start a carpentry business. It was me and my brother, James Kalinimi, and he paid us rent while we issued him receipts,” Mukasa told the court.
Defence witness, Masembe Mukasa
The prosecution argues that Mukasa’s testimony is inconsistent with Dr Ntwatwa’s claim of ownership over the disputed land.
The two witnesses were called by the defence to support Dr Ntwatwa against allegations that he provided false information to police regarding ownership of a Kibanja located opposite the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) at Mulago Roundabout.
According to the prosecution, Dr Ntwatwa, Kateregga, Ntoogo, and others still at large allegedly reported to Wandegeya Police Station in 2019 claiming they were the rightful owners of the Kibanja. The prosecution contends they knew the information was false and intended to cause police to investigate and recognise their ownership claim.
The State further alleges that between 2019 and 2020, the accused conspired to defraud Pastor Daniel Walugembe of his Kibanja opposite the Government Analytical Laboratory on Haji Kasule Road by claiming they had purchased it from Bulasio Bwisi in the early 1990s.
Court documents also allege that on September 17, 2020, Dr Ntwatwa knowingly presented allegedly false Busuulu (ground rent) receipts at Wandegeya Police Station, claiming they had been issued by the family of Ashe Sendawula Mukasa.
Chief Magistrate Winnie Nankya adjourned the case to September 3, 2026, describing it as the final adjournment for the defence to present its remaining witness before the court proceeds to judgment.
